Bottom of the Barrel
by FalloutRanger
Summary: The Human-Covenant War has already ended coutless lives. Now the Office of Naval Intelligence is scraping the bottom of the barrel for more soldiers to throw into the grinder. But are the soldiers they find the men they need?
1. The Barrel

**February 2, 2531. (Military Calendar) **

**Harvest-Epsilon Indi System. Ruins of Utgard.**

"Incoming!"

Marines dove in all directions as the large ball of super-heated plasma impacted on the Scorpion-class battle tank. The turret gunner never even had a chance to unbuckle herself before she and the rest of the tank was turned to molten slag. Disregarding the ruined tank, the marines held their ground; the bark of their weapons drowning out the cries of the wounded and roars of Covenant soldiers as they charged forward.

"LT! We got incoming banshees!" A brown haired corporal shouted as he downed a trio of waddling grunts with his M7 submachine gun.

"Rockets up, take those bastards out!" The lieutenant ordered; drilling an unshielded elite through its mandibles. Her red hair billowed from under her helmet and the cold breeze made her seem like a war goddess from millennia past. "Right flank tighten up, gotta get the wounded out."

The platoon cheered as the rocket jockeys shouldered their launchers and blew the offending banshees out of the sky before they did any major harm. Still, the platoon was on the verge of being overrun and evacuation of the wounded was still undergoing. Another marine howled with pain as a purple needle slammed into his chest; exploding a second later and ending his screams.

"Hold the line!" A sergeant ordered as he fired on fully-automatic; his MA5B assault rifle clacking empty too soon as his target; an elite major, drove his energy blade through his chest and out his back. Effortlessly, the elite chucked the dead man off its blade; roaring in triumph. Too soon. Two grenades rolled underneath its feet, detonating and shredding its body and those surrounding it.

"Lt. we gotta fall back!" The corporal exclaimed as he drew his sidearm and began firing; his M7 left hanging at his side. The 12.7 rounds skipped off the shields of the jackals, but distracted them enough for the marines to take them down with a hail of gunfire.

Ejecting his magazine, the corporal slammed his final one into the pistol, firing into a group of grunts trying to set up a plasma turret. Ducking behind cover, he narrowly missed a volley of plasma bolts that soared over his head; striking an unlucky marine in the thigh and shoulder. Rising again, he twisted to fire at a grunt only to feel himself lifted into the air; a burning sensation erupting from his chest. Slamming to the ground, he noticed a grunt with a smoking fuel rod cannon waddling towards him. Downing it with two rounds to the chest, he felt the burning grow more intense. Looking down his armor had boiled into slag which was still smoking from the too-close plasma explosion.

Casting off the useless chestpiece, he snatched up his M7 before diving into a crater next to the lieutenant. "We've got half the platoon down…we have to fall back!"

"Marines don't retreat!" The lieutenant shouted, firing a burst over her head.

"Not retreat, strategic withdrawal! The platoon is done for if we stay here ma'am. Call for evac!" Rising he let loose a burst and down two grunts scrambling forward and sent another diving for cover. A series of rapid explosions sent him sprawling on top of the lieutenant and he grimaced as he felt something heavy and wet land on him.

"Stone?!" The lieutenant cried out as the platoon sergeant gaped at her with empty eyes as the corporal shoved the mangled man off; his shirt stained with the man's blood.

"Dammit, call for evac! Do you hear me! Lieutenant? Lieutenant!?"

**Two Months Earlier, Earth-Sol System**

The prison warden shook slightly as he poured a fifth of whiskey into two glasses and brought them over to the large window overlooking the prison yard. Handing over the glass, he was surprised when the blonde woman simply downed the whiskey without a single grimace.

_Damn spooks…_

"Hmm, you said Prisoner-4220 is an ideal prospect for my selection? Point him out to me please." The woman's cultured voice seemed to reflect her English heritage, but the warden had never heard anyone speak like that except for in the movies.

"Yes, he's the one carrying the ball over on the grav ball court. Long brown hair." The warden pointed downwards at the mass of prisoners.

A single one stood out as he thrashed and ducked his way past the defenders only to be taken down by a large black man followed by the rest of the team. Dusting himself off, he went back to the huddle and grinned madly as the QB issued his play. Rushing forward, the man drove his shoulder into the same black prisoner who tackled him and sent him into the ground.

Catching the pass from the QB, the man rushed for another twenty untouched yards before throwing the grav ball through one of the two goals on either side of the goalkeeper. The ball flew effortlessly through the hoop as the keeper was more than three seconds late.

"Hmm, good aim." The woman commented as she typed into her data pad.

The warden continued to watch as the man started to do the normal touchdown dance before the black man shoved him. Shoving him back, the man ducked under a wild swing from the black prisoner and delivered a knee to the stomach followed by a right haymaker. Soon the court exploded into violence as prisoners joined the brawl; team against team. The MPs struggled to restore order and, knowing it was lost, began firing stun rounds into the crowd; downing multiple prisoners including the man who scored.

"Get me that prisoner." The woman ordered before turning on her heel and striding out of the office, leaving the warden speechless.

"Damn spooks…" He muttered as he ran a hand over his salt and pepper hair.

"I heard that."

_Shit._

Xxxxxxxxxx

The MPs roughly shoved me into the room, pointing to a chair at the far end of a metal table. I didn't understand why everything in the prison had to be made of metal; lacked a sense of style. Sitting down, I lifted my hands, the handcuffs jingling lightly as I gave the female guard my most charming smile.

"Not gonna work." She growled, her hand resting on the handle of her stun baton. The other guard only chuckled at my expense.

"Can't hate a guy for trying." I leaned back in my chair and rubbed a lump beginning to form on my chest. A stun round had nailed me dead on during the brawl and knocked me on my ass faster than anything ever had or ever would. I was just lucky enough not to get hit in the head like Pascal; that black man has severe anger problems.

Just as my thoughts began to drift the door swung open and in walked an ONI spook. I knew this because of the way the guards stiffened and also because of the jet-black uniform; only spooks and ODSTs wore all black and she didn't have the flaming skull anywhere on her uniform.

"Both of you vacate the room." She said, slapping a manila folder onto the table; a series of papers and photos slipping out. One caught my eye and I angled my head before it was pushed back into the folder.

"But ma'am, the prisoner-

"Will be on his best behavior…right Banner?" The woman asked, pulling her hair over one shoulder. It was amazing how a simple action could disarm any man…or certain women, but that's not the point. I only nodded stupidly as the guards huffed and left the room; the sound of a lock scraping shut echoing in the room.

"Now, I don't think these are necessary." She leaned over and unlocked my cuffs, tossing them aside. "Do you know why you're here, Banner?"

Rubbing at my wrists I only shook my head, locking my eyes with her blue ones. A man could get lost in eyes like that, but knowing spooks, she'd sooner slip a knife between my ribs than give me a tumble.

"Hmm let's enlighten you, shall we? Eric Banner, born 2510 on Mars. Corporal, enlisted when you turned eighteen and followed your older brother into the Corps. Fought in two engagements with the Covenant on Harvest, which is why you are here."

Glancing up from what I assumed was my service record, I saw the tiniest bit of interest flash in her eyes…that or I'm crazy. I'm not, therapist checked me out. Remaining silent the woman continued.

"Whilst engaged with a small force of Covenant, your CO, a Lieutenant Jinn, ordered a danger close fire mission which resulted in the death of three marines. How is this possible?"

"Ma'am, with respect, the lieutenant fucked up. He panicked and ordered the Longswords to drop the payload too early; it caught my fire team in the open. He deserved what he got." I muttered looking away.

"And what did he get, huh?" She flipped through several pages before pulling a photo out and sliding it towards me. "A severe concussion, five broken ribs, and half the bones in his face broken as well."

The photo was a close up of the lieutenant after the incident. Blood coated his unconscious face and his nose was pointing in the wrong direction.

"Ma'am, I broke his nose too." I laughed as I passed the photo back. To my shock the spook actually laughed; making her seem more human. "What's this about? Why the interview?"

Setting the folder down, she folded her fingers together; sighing lightly. "Do you know who I represent?"

"I assume ONI due to the lack of unit patches save for the Spec-Warfare insignia. I know Helljumpers like to show off their skulls so you're not one of them." I folded my hands behind my head; pushing off the ground and teetering on the back legs of my chair.

"Correct. My name is Commander Sophia Parks and I represent the ONI in a matter of most importance…the survival of the human race."

I leaned back down, the chair scraping as I leaned forward. "I'm listening."

"The Covenant is still on Harvest and recruiting has dropped more than fifty percent since the beginning of the war. I have been ordered by ONI to recruit…special individuals and reassign them to their former branches."

"Scraping the bottom of the barrel, eh?" I asked, pulling my file towards me. The photos of my unit and even my fire team were inside. I could still remember Frankie's smiling face as he polished his boots. The way Nylund was able to cook anything out of rations and how he always fought with Nikki. Nikki I missed the most; we planned on spending leave together once we had been extracted…so close.

Tears welled in my eyes as I pulled the picture out and stuffed it into my pocket; not caring what Commander Parks thought. Wiping my eyes, I looked into her own, locking them together.

"Where do I come in?"

"You'll be reinstated at your previous rank and shipped back to Harvest on the _Iron Justice_, the frigate that your unit and I are assigned to. I will continue to accompany you on your missions and we will see if this project of ours pays off." Commander Parks leaned forward, her voice hushed. "So that you also know, you're the first of hopefully many to come. Humanity needs its soldiers back and the Covenant must pay."

"Who'd you lose?" I could feel the spite for the Covenant in the room and knew instantly her pain.

"I'm from Harvest."

Nodding I rose out of my chair and snapped to attention for the first time in two years; a crisp salute touching my brow.

"Eric Banner reporting for duty ma'am."

Rising as well, she pulled as small cloth bag that jingled out of her breast pocket. Tossing it to me, she returned my salute before stepping back and banging on the door with her fist. I practically beamed when I felt the familiar metal of my dogtags through the cloth; I had an identity now.

"Welcome back to the Corps, corporal…and get rid of the damn hair."

Oh…how I missed the Corps. Oorah!

In the period of five hours I was booted out of my cell, given my few belongings, and on the road to the Washington Space Port where the Iron Justice awaited. Commander Parks was silent for most of the ride and the driver was the roughest man I had ever seen. He wore an all black uniform as well, but sported a series of scars running up and over his bald scalp.

Commander Parks only spoke with me to detail my sleeping arrangements, cyro pod, and where to requisition my armor and weapons. Seems even despite my past, she was willing to give me a chance. As the warthog passed through the security gate I watched the frigate loom over us and as we drove up the ramp into the hanger bay; I felt we were just eaten by a massive beast.

Gruff as I had taken to calling him, immediately jumped out of the vehicle and pulled me out along with him; the commander trailing behind us. I couldn't help but smirk at the marines and pilots watching us as we walked by…well mostly watching me, the handcuffs were hard to miss.

"Commander Parks, I assume this is your package?" An older voice boomed over the sound of the hanger bay.

Awaiting us in front of the ship's elevator was a trio of soldiers. One was definitely the captain due to his naval uniform and age. His black hair had streaks of grey in it and he was missing his left forearm; replaced with a prosthesis. Good, this man has experience. To his right was a tall black man wearing an ODST shirt; the sleeves at the point of tearing from the sizes of his biceps. Last was a dark-haired woman sporting the bars of an infantry captain; probably my new company commander.

"Yes Captain Hicks it is. Corporal Eric Banner…I trust I can leave him in safe care?" Parks asked, crossing her arms.

"You may, but one mess up and he's out of the closest airlock. Understand marine?" He was now talking to me; the bark in his voice causing me to snap to attention and jerk my handcuffs. I winced slightly, but kept as straight a face as possible.

"Sir yes sir!"

"Good, keep your nose clean and you'll be fine." He turned to Parks; tipping an imaginary hat. "Commander."

Pushed forward by Gruff, I followed the captain as the man and woman flanked behind me. I could feel their eyes drilling into the back of my skull. The elevator seemed faster than I was used to and we exited on what was B-Deck. Shoved forward again, I entered the cyro room much to my distaste and viewed the long rows of pods. My worst memories were of being sealed inside those coffins unable to get out while a jackal beats the glass as I can only watch. Talk about a bad nightmare.

"Corporal Banner, this is Sergeant Richards and your company commander, Captain Marsh; they'll explain your duties." Nodding to his subordinates, Captain Hicks left closing the doors behind them.

"Marsh, I'm gonna check on my men; you got this?" Sergeant Richards asked never taking his eyes off me. "I can take-

"Sergeant, your services are not needed. Go play in the pod bay." Marsh muttered harshly before pointing to the door.

Smirking arrogantly, Richards left the cyro bay, running a finger across his throat before leaving. Cocking an eyebrow, I faced the captain, her brown hair tied into a bun and tucked through a cap. Who knew an officer could look so good in such a simple way…shit, no she's the CO…bad thoughts.

"Corporal Banner…mind if I call you just Banner?" She continued as I shook my head. "We're headed to Harvest as I'm sure you know. You will be in cyro for most of the trip as will the marine contingent. At all times you will be monitored by the ship's AI, Naomi, who will sync with your neural lace during slipspace; that way she'll know where you are at all times. Any questions?"

"Ma'am, when will the chow hall be open, I'm starving."

**Present Date**

"Call for evac! You hear me? Lieutenant? Lieutenant!?" I slapped Lieutenant Jones across the face hoping to snap her out of the stupor. Sure having the sergeant Stone landing on you wasn't good for the mind, but she needed to keep it together. Seeing no response, I hauled her up by the collar and pushed her back, firing as I went.

"Fall back! 2nd Platoon fall back…Parker, keep that MG firing; you've got the rear." I thanked whoever was upstairs that Parker hadn't run out of ammunition for his M247 or 'SAW' as the Corps like to call it. With its overwhelming amount of firepower we had been able to hold the Covenant off long enough.

"Banner!" I turned to see our corpsman, Lance Corporal Sam Marx, come sprinting forward; her medical pack bouncing on her back. She was young, barely out of high school when she enlisted and had celebrated her nineteenth birthday with combat rations. "Lt. hit?"

"No, blast from a fuel cannon hit close, she's out of it." I didn't know why I covered for the lieutenant…maybe because she had given me the chance to prove myself unlike the others who distrusted me…sadly most of those individuals were now dead. "Get her on a pelican!"

"Only a few left, we gotta go!" Marx yelled, slipping Jones over her shoulders as she took off in the direction of the evac site.

"2nd Platoon, haul ass!" I opened up with my M7, the rounds sparking an elite's shield before the magazine clacked empty. The elite's mandibles flew open as it roared; its razor sharp teeth dripping with saliva. "Shit…"

Reaching for my last magazine, I backpedaled and just my luck tripped over an ill placed piece of rebar. The elite did what counted as a grin to its species as it rose its sword; the air seeming to sizzle from the heat rising from the blade.

Then again, maybe luck was on my side as the elite's chest exploded outward from an eight gauge slug. Standing behind it was my bunkmate and one of few friends I had in the universe, Lareto Kaipo.

"I'm always saving your ass aren't I?" The massive Samoan asked as he helped me to my feet; his tattoos shining from the sweat drenching his face. This man here was one of the few true blooded Samoans left in the galaxy and he happened to be my best friend. Thank you Big Man.

"No…just didn't want to let my kill-count get too high. How's Bertha treating you?" I gestured to my shotgun as we took off running; my M7 coughing loudly as any Covenant got too close.

"She keeps the nasties away, but I miss my rifle." Not only was Lareto a hand-to-hand expert, he was the best shot on the Iron Justice with the SRS rifle...which had been blown up three days ago. He had actually cried…that had been awkward.

"I'll scrounge you up one when we get off-world, promise." I saw multiple pelicans begin to lift off; remnants of Outpost Charlie clinging to dear life. Elements of my platoon had already boarded and taken off so only one was left.

"Towers, get us in the air!" I felt a plasma bolt zip too close to my shoulder as I dove into the blood tray followed by Lareto. Lieutenant Jones had regained her composure and directed fire as the Covenant drew closer. "Towers! Now!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Towers voice shouted in my earpiece as she came sprinting around the corner followed by a gurney and two medics. They had made it halfway before a needler round caught the lead medic in the neck; exploding a second later and coating the ground with blood. Rushing out to meet them, I expended the remainder of my magazine on an overzealous jackal and crushed the skull of a grunt with the buttstock of the M7 before tossing the useless weapon away; drawing my sidearm.

My M6 had been with me since I deployed and hadn't failed me yet as I opened fire; the rounds bouncing off of shields and embedding themselves into grunts. The hum of the pelican's engines drew me back as plasma bolts and needle rounds impacted around me; one needler round even exploded prematurely and sent slivers into my chest. Ignoring the pain, I ducked back inside just as the pelican lifted off. Thankfully we headed straight into orbit…I had one round left.

"Did it work?" I asked collapsing on the floor as the Covenant swarmed the base; their armor making it look like a rainbow…a deadly, ugly as ass, rainbow.

Looking to Jones, she grimly pulled a small detonator out of her pocket, the device seeming innocent in her hands. We all stared at it and then back at her as she walked to the open bay; the wind whipping her hair around.

"Could still be marines down there…" She whispered, tears beginning to trek down her grimy face.

"Give it to me." I held my hand out and sighed inwardly as she handed it over. Such a small thing could do so much damage with just the press of the button. The wind blew through my crew cut and cooled my sweaty scalp as I held my breath and thumbed the button; hitting the switch to seal the bay door.

"Semper Fi…Do or die."

**So…while I enjoyed writing it, I'm trying to decide if this will be a oneshot or an actual story. I hope to get some input from you readers to decide. **

**I just wanted to make a shout out to the author Casquis who inspired me to write this. Y'all gotta read his story, The Life.**

**So that's all, hope ya enjoyed reading, reviews are certainly welcome. **


	2. New Ink

**February 2, 2531. (Military Calendar)**

**Iron Justice-Orbiting Harvest.**

Lieutenant Towers rushed the remaining medic and his patient towards the med bay as we stumbled out of the pelican; sore and sporting our own minor wounds. Sam went from marine to marine slapping bandages on and filling gashes with biofoam; normal day for a corpsman and something I know I could never handle. I smirked when Parker threw the M247 on the ground; the barrel warped from the constant firing. Parker hadn't been trained in its use and the melted barrel was proof.

"Lareto, get the more seriously wounded to the med bay. Banner, join me." Jones waved me over; wiping at her brow with an old bandanna.

Holstering my pistol, I joined her by the pelican bay fearing for the worst. Yes, I slapped my superior officer and took over, but it was for the best…right?

"Ban…Eric. Thanks for…helping me out…I didn't know what to do." Jones stuttered casting her head down. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman. She had graduated from the military academy at Reach and had been immediately shipped out to Harvest to command a platoon with no experience.

"Ma'am I only did what I thought was best; you did fine." I set myself at parade rest as she laughed to herself. I had been one of the few in the platoon with experience fighting the Covenant and knew what they were like; time to pass on some knowledge.

"Ma'am, a leader must be able to make harsh decisions…decisions like blowing up a base knowing that some friends may still be inside. We're soldiers and soldiers have to make tough decisions."

Jones nodded as she wiped at her eyes. Even though my words stung and were cold, one must realize that we were at war for our very survival. No one won battles by being nice.

"Tough words…how can I know they're true." She stared at me with bloodshot eyes; grime coating her face made her look like she just finished the obstacle course at basic.

"Ma'am, I took the detonator."

Nodding her head again, she wiped at her eyes again, smearing the grime across her face. See looked up at the ceiling of the hanger before looking at me again. Her mouth opened but closed again having trouble finding what to say.

"Corporal Banner, report to the bridge. Lieutenant Jones, report to the medical bay." The voice of Naomi, the ship's AI, rang over the loudspeakers; her cultured voice warped by the speakers.

"Ma'am."

I left without another word; peeling off my helmet and tucking it under my arm. Following a group of marines and army troopers; I squeezed into an elevator leading to A-Deck where the bridge was located. The elevator stunk of blood and sweat, the odor of battle and I knew every one of the men and women in here wanted to rid themselves of it.

Wiping my face with my facewrap, I winced as it rubbed against a long cut along my chin; courtesy of a needler shard. The shard had exploded in the chest of an army trooper who had been separated from his company. Poor man hadn't time to even scream before it detonated; bloody cruel weapons.

Exiting the elevator, I made my way into the bridge; nodding to the two marines standing guard. I knew them only by reputation and it was a mile long; these were some tough marines.

"Captain and the spook are waiting." The larger of the two said, cradling his assault rifle in his arms.

"Thanks for the warning."

The marine nodded as I passed him, taking a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lighting up. Boy, could I use one of those right now.

Running my hand over my head, I pushed my way past naval orderlies running papers back and forth and found myself standing before Captain Hicks and a very angry Commander Parks. They were shouting back and forth regardless of who was listening and looked like fists would begin to fly any minute…moneys on Parks.

"How dare you use my marines for a diversion like this? Half my ship's contingent was wiped out by ONI's stupid plans and now you're trying to justify it!" Hicks shouted in her face.

True to her ONI ways, Parks didn't even flinch. "Captain as I told you as have your superiors countless times is that this was part of the final push to take back Harvest. Admiral Cole recommended your contingent specifically; you should be proud."

Captain Hicks didn't seem proud whatsoever as his face turned redder and redder. "You think this is a game? What you fail to forget is that these men and women are under my command and will not be thrown into the grinder uselessly."

I coughed softly, covering my mouth as I drew attention to myself. I wish I hadn't after the glares received from Commander Parks.

"What is it, corporal?" Her voice dripped with venom and the thought of her as a snake or something along those lines popped into my mind. Sometimes I think I have an overactive imagination.

"Captain Hicks." I ignored Parks and saluted the captain sharply. Returning the gesture, he clasped his hands behind his back.

"Banner. How's 2nd Platoon?

"We're good, sir…what's left of us that is. Has Captain Marsh returned from her mission?" I asked urgently; settling into parade rest.

Captain Marsh had split off from 2nd Platoon with the rest of the company to rig another nuke in the city center of Utgard. Sergeant Richards and the Helljumpers accompanied her, but shortly after landing communications had been severed. The entirety of 2nd was on the edge and waiting for news.

"Her mission was a success…but they had heavy losses. Sergeant Richards, his Helljumpers, and seventy-five percent of Echo Company have been wiped out. I'm very sorry, corporal. Captain Marsh is in the Med Bay if you wish to join her, actually make that an order."

Looking down, I saw that blood had begun to seep through my shirt and the adrenaline had worn off and now the pain was rearing its ugly head. Nodding his head, Captain Hicks saluted me and walked to the helmsman; his words lost to me.

"Corporal."

Commander Parks brushed past me with a flip of her hair. I couldn't understand what that woman was feeling. Did she care about the marines she sent into combat? Apparently not by the conversation.

Taking the absence of the captain as my dismissal, I hurriedly made my way to the elevator and down the med bay; the whole of my chest beginning to feel red-hot. Brushing past marines, army troopers, and corpsmen, I managed to find the wounded of 2nd Platoon all huddled around a shrouded body. Eyes were red and I could see the dried tears on Marx's face as she looked up at me.

"Kurt didn't make it…damage was too much." She sniffed, wiping at her nose. Kurt had been like her kid-brother when he was sent in as a replacement and had grown on all of us. Only a few weeks and he managed to touch the entire platoon.

Bowing my head I muttered the soldiers prayer; crossing myself before looking back at the bloodstained sheet. I never considered myself deeply religious, but I figured there must be something controlling everything in our lives. Just never understood why such young kids had to die so early.

"Alright, everyone, show's over. Catch some sack time." I ordered, watching the room empty by half. That shows how much they cared for a single marine.

"And you need to sit down yourself and take off the shirt." Marx pulled me to an empty bed and gestured for my shirt.

"Only cuz it's you." I joked.

Rolling her eyes, Marx gently slapped me on the shoulder, her hand coming away bloody. Sighing with frustration she set herself to the task; cleaning my cuts and filling the deeper ones with biofoam. I almost cried when she brought out the needle and thread. Advanced medical technology and I still needed stitches for the cut on my chin which wouldn't clot.

"Sorry…" She didn't sound sorry as she threaded the needle through my chin. I hated needles with a passion and I think she enjoyed my fear a little much…yup she just giggled.

"How're you doing?" I asked barely able to move my mouth.

"Well, I lost most of my friends in a single operation and another one only fifteen minutes ago. How the hell do you think I'm doing?" She sniffed again, clipping the thread and turning away from me; setting her hands on a gurney behind her.

Never able to stand for a woman crying, I jumped off the bed, wrapping my arms around her and softly speaking into her hair; stroking it lightly. In the short time I had been with her she had become almost like a sister to me and I would always be there for her. Something tells me I got friend zoned big time.

"Gonna be alright, I promise."

She responded by returning my hug and digging her face into the crook of my neck; her warm breath tickling my skin. I could feel my heart begin to beat like a drum as she took a deep breath and giggled again.

"Eric, you need a shower."

I only grinned and laughed, joined a second later by Marx as the rest of the room's occupants stared at us like we were insane. Hey, we just blew a nuclear weapon up while it was surrounded by Covenant; feels good.

xxxxxxxxxxx

A few hours later I found myself freshly showered and bare-chested again with another sharp object being pushed into my skin. The cafeteria was empty except for us and a few army troopers and they kept their distance from us.

Not only was Lareto one of Samoan descent, but he also was an expert tattooist from before he enlisted; continuing his trade with marines on board the Iron Justice and adding another name to my 'List'. Frank, Nylund, Nikkie, and now Kurt had been etched into my left side; easily concealed when I lowered my arm.

"I never understood why you got Kurt's name on ya. He wasn't along for long." Kaipo muttered, finishing the swoop of the last character and wiping the excess ink and blood from my side.

"Kurt was a good man and he meant a lot to the company…what's left of it that is." I replied.

I had forgotten how much tattoos stung and my side was on fire; nothing like superheated plasma though. Kaipo rubbed a numbing salve on my side and slapped a bandage on; not very gently either.

"What's the word on the rest of the ship?" I asked.

"Just like Echo, the other companies got hit hard. Charlie and Delta were wiped out in a glassing and now we're on the slot for replacements. Dammit!" Kaipo had closed his case on his finger and now was cursing and rocking back and forth.

Gotta say it was hilarious seeing such a big man taken down by just his finger and I couldn't help but laugh. Which I did…and received a fist to the chest which sent me sprawling onto the floor. Lying on the floor I still laughed and to hell with the army troopers looking at us weirdly so I flashed them the bird.

"You're going to piss some people off doing that and I won't be around to protect you, mate." Kaipo said as he stuck his finger in his mouth.

"The day I die Kaipo is the day you won't be able to do a damn thing. How long till we need to be in cyro?" I asked, dreading the freezing pod.

I folded my hands behind my head, staring up at the ceiling fans lazily rotating forward. Kaipo smirked as he checked his watch; leaping up a second later. He snatched his case up and sprinted out of the cafeteria. I continued to lay there as I felt the rumble of the ship entering slipspace and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the army troopers had slipped out already. Looking back at the ceiling fan I wiped at my face before sitting up and wiping at the imaginary dust on my backside.

"I suppose we're late."

I then proceeded to get the hell out of the cafeteria.

**Well, I think that was a good filler, what do y'all think? I'd appreciate some criticism and reviews cuz those keep me going. Thanks!**


	3. Rescue Mission

**February 20, 2531 (Military Calendar)**

**Exiting Slipspace in the Proycon System, Arcadia.**

The Iron Justice shuddered as it exited slipspace and began its course to the battle group orbiting Arcadia. The planet had come under attack on the 9th and would have been glassed if not for the timely arrival of the UNSC _Spirit of Fire_ which added its firepower to that of the _Autumn_ and _Armstrong_; the only warships remaining. Together they had managed to repel the invading Covenant cruisers and began groundside operations. Seems like things were beginning to look up…at least that's what the media said. Things said were much different than things happening on the planet.

In the early hours of the invasion the Covenant had managed to land dropships in the major population centers and began exterminating the civilians. The Arcadian police did their best, but in the end were annihilated do to the sheer numbers of Covenant attacking. Fairing slightly better, the UNSC Army had managed to hold off the Covenant and began evacuation of the remaining civilians.

Now it was time for the marines to do our part. Oorah.

Dropping down on the landing pad of Firebase Alpha, pelican Bravo 240 altered its thrusters before coming to a jerky landing; spraying water on any bystanders. Rain fell like stinging needles and already I hated Arcadia; rain and I had never meshed since boot camp and the long morning and evening marches in all weather.

Pulling up my facewrap, I charged down the ramp with my MA5C and duffle bag slung over my shoulder. The remains of Echo Company had been assigned to the search and rescue squads located in Firebase Alpha which was located on the outskirts of Pirth City; capital city of Arcadia. Lieutenant Jones had been given charge of Echo due to Captain Marsh being placed in a medical coma from the extent of her injuries.

Scattered pockets of stranded civilians were dug in throughout the city and now dozens of distress signals were flooding the base radios. The remnants of the Covenant ground forces had been abandoned when one of the two cruisers was destroyed and the other jumped the system. Now, being cut off from reinforcements, the Covies were doing anything to be a major thorn in the UNSC's ass.

"Echo, our tents are this way, drop your packs and get your gear on." Jones directed the company to the tents beside the motor pool; grabbing Marx by her sleeve. "Get to the hospital and find out what you can do, but be back in a few hours. Banner, you're the ranking NCO now so make sure everyone gets settled then find me in the command tent. Hop to it."

With a series of 'yes ma'ams' we hunched our backs and drove through the sheets of rain and the mob of marines, civilians, and army troopers to our tents. I ushered 2nd Squad into the one closest to the motor pool and dropped my duffle on a ratty looking cot. Dust literally wafted up when I hit it.

"Welcome to the Corps, brother." Kaipo jeered from his bunk as he slapped it himself and received a blast of dust into his nose, making him sneeze loudly.

"Welcome indeed. Alright, 2nd…get your gear stowed and do a run through your rifles. Kaipo, have them clean as a whistle, hear me?"

He responded with a lazy salute as he disassembled his new SRS99C-S2 rifle complete with an updated Oracle scope. The look on his face as he ran his fingers up and down the barrel was slightly disturbing. His love for sniper rifles had begun when he first held it during basic as he always said. "Big gun gets a big bullet." he always said.

With Kurt now in a body bag, only two other members of the squad remained; Parker and his best friend Dell. Their files showed that they had both been serving together since they had enlisted in high school; damn propaganda posters got them. From what scuttlebutt said, they both had a remarkable talent for Gravball and had scholarships to the Luna Academy for it. Parker had been an amazing quarterback and Dell was his best running back which helped solidify their teamwork and friendship. Parker carried the normal MA5B while Dell dabbled in explosives; carrying his own SPNKr rocket launcher…gotta say that worried me more than Kaipo, but as long as he followed the instructions, I was fine.

Ducking under the flap of the tent and into the rain, I hurried across the muddy road and narrowly dodged a speeding Warthog as it passed; splattering my BDU's with mud. Cursing softly, I hurried to where I had last seen Lieutenant Jones and, seeing a group of officers exit a prefab building, ducked inside.

Immediately I was blasted by hot air and the noise of several exasperated mean and women trying to keep track of thousands of troops and supplies. To my luck, I saw Jones at the very back of the room talking to what looked like a captain. Disregarding rank, I pushed my way through the mess of people; stepping on boots on accident and knocking a clerk carrying a stack of papers over. Apologizing quickly, I managed to reach Jones and the unknown captain.

"Lieutenant Jones, ma'am." I snapped a quick salute, coming to attention.

"Ah, good, at ease. Captain Hill, this is Corporal Banner as of right now the ranking NCO in Echo." Jones' words seemed to drip with annoyance. I didn't think I had done anything to piss her off yet. "We need replacements, captain."

"Corporal, I understand you've been to Pirth before?" Hill had ignored Jones completely and the look on her face was plenty enough to get an idea of what she was feeling.

"If you mean a weekend leave and an amazing hangover, than yes I know it, sir."

"What yourself corporal, I'm not one for jokes." Hill muttered as he walked to a map hanging from the wall.

It was of Pirth and all across it were red X's and circles; wasn't hard to figure what the X's were for. Located in the center of the city was a large building which looked to be the mayor's office, being one of the bigger buildings.

"This is the city hall where the mayor and his staff have held up."

Yup, who called that?

"We tried to evacuate them early in the battle, but he insisted on his people getting out first and since he was surrounded by Covies, we didn't argue. Now that the bulk of them are gone, it's time to get in there and find them."

"Captain, if I may?" I interjected quickly.

Receiving a nod, I walked up to the map and traced my fingers from the city hall to where Alpha base was located.

"Sir, we're over two hundred kilometers from them at this time, in an area controlled by the Covies still; despite their losses. How do you think to go about this? It's suicide…sir."

"True if we sent in a large detachment, but a single squad could get the job done." Hill said as he crossed his arms.

"Sir, my men aren't ODST's, I'm not sending them behind enemy lines already under strength. We don't even know if the mayor is still alive for Christ's sake!" Jones cut in, her fiery red eyes making her sage eyes shine in the light.

Man, she was sexy when she was mad…shit, officer, officer, officer.

"Well, that's good because I'm sending them in. I'll be in command of the mission from here and guide them in; it's settled, lieutenant. Corporal, you will be dropped on a nearby roof and enter through the main lobby. The building most likely has a bunker underground so you'll find the survivors there. Questions?"

"Extraction and support?"

"Two Pelicans will be on stand-by for extraction once you have the mayor. Support will consist of the Hornets which will stay on station for as long as possible. This is not to be a long mission, corporal, remember that. Get it done." Turning his back, Captain Hill dismissed Jones and I with a wave of his hand.

Unbeknownst to him, I flashed him the bird as I walked out of the tent; receiving a much deserved slap in the back of the head from Jones. Thankfully, the rain had begun to lighten, but mud still sucked my boots down and as I could see also kept sticking vehicles.

"Banner, get 2nd Squad. I'll find Marx and we'll join you at the motor pool." Jones ordered as she walked past me.

"Ma'am, I don't think the captain will approve of you joining…"

"Screw him; I'm not staying behind for this." She kept walking forward and as she did the sun began to come out; shining brightly. Dozens of marines looked up from their tasks to gaze at the sun; grins spreading across their faces. Seems like I wasn't the only one who hated the rain.

"Maybe this will be easier than I thought…"

Xxxxxxxxxx

The wind furiously ripped at my fatigues as we flew over the ruins of Pirth City; fires raging in the remains of skyscrapers, matching the setting sun. Across the city I could see explosions erupting from the streets with green and blue plasma rocketing towards the marines below.

Looking down again, I steadied my footing on the narrow landing skid of the Hornet and glanced over to Kaipo whose face was priceless. He had become an odd shade of green which made his Samoan tattoo stand out even more than usual. Not only was he clinging desperately to the handholds, but he had also strapped his entire body to the side of the aircraft; effectively holding him in place.

"You have enough seat belts, Kaipo?" Dell teased from his and Parker's Hornet as it came alongside my own. I couldn't see Lieutenant Jones on account of her being on the opposite side of the two marines, but I could hear her groan over the squad comm.

"Screw you, Dell! I hate flying and you know it; my boots aren't meant for flying." Kaipo flashed Dell the finger with his free hand and pushed himself against the Hornet more.

Dell's response was to laugh loudly over the radio and bump fists with Parker who was laughing along with him.

Shaking my head, I tugged at my gloves, the tips of my fingers exposed to the elements. Call it pre-battle nerves, but these little habits helped to keep many a marine calm.

"Nervous?" Marx's voice whispered into my headset. It was strange knowing she was on the other side of the Hornet and I could hear her clear as crystal.

"Na, just ready to get the job done." I replied.

Marx chuckled to herself before responding. "You sound like a damn Helljumper with that attitude. Why aren't you one of them?"

"My brother is, but I was locked up before I could join him. He always liked the daredevil shit; even when we were kids."

"Ah, the old envious of the older brother story, eh?" She asked, laughing again.

"He's my little brother actually, by two years. Best little brother anyone could have."

Silence echoed over the comm, seeming to drown out the rush of the wind whipping past my face.

"He's stationed on Reach last I heard, but he hasn't spoken to me since I wa-

"Sixty seconds, marines!" The pilot's voice thundered over the radio; cutting the conversation short.

"Alright, get tactical, marines!" Jones shouted, the sound of charging handles being readied distinct in the wind.

Coming closer and closer was city hall and boy, they had been hit hard. The entire fifth floor had collapsed onto the fourth and almost every window had been blown out. Corpses of civilians, police, and Covenant littered the streets throughout the city. I only hoped that this wouldn't turn from a rescue to a damn recovery mission. Hauling corpses made me irritable.

The Hornets slowed their rotors as they began their descent onto the roof of the building opposite of city hall. Mine went first and I leapt off the skid; grunting as my boots crunched in the gravel on the roof. Marx followed behind me; her assault rifle nestled against her shoulder.

"Fan out, Marx, take the stairs. Kaipo…Kaipo?" I glanced up to see him struggling to free himself from the straps binding him to the Hornet. The curses became more and more vile as he ripped each strap from his chest and limbs. Finally he managed to free himself and pulled his sniper rifle from his back and stepped off the skid; his massive body shaking the ground when he landed.

"Don't. Say. A. Fucking. Word." He said brushing past me and taking up position on the ledge; scanning the city hall.

I scanned the rooftop for targets before waving the other Hornet down. The rotors kicked up dust and I shielded my eyes and that's when it happened.

A single beam streaked across the blood-red sky and punched through the cockpit; slamming into the pilot's chest. Blood sprayed against the glass and the Hornet twisted to the right and in that second I could see the shocked faces of Dell, Parker, and when the Hornet twisted again, that of Jones.

Her eyes flashed with fear and she shouted out to me before she and the Hornet disappeared from view. A second later came a horrible sound of metal grating against metal and the building shaking from the impact. Time sped into motion and I ran to the edge; gazing down, I barely noticed the sound of Kaipo's rifle booming and his confirmation of a kill.

"Command, this is Echo-2. Echo-Actual, 5, and 6 are down! I repeat, their Hornet has crash-landed on location!" I could only see smoke and the beginnings of a fire spreading.

"Kaipo, Marx, let's move!"

Marx kicked open the door and cleared the first stairway, stopping at the bottom. I quickly followed, my breath becoming labored at the thought of another dead squad. Kaipo brought up the rear, slinging his rifle and pulling his sidearm from his thigh holster.

We made our way down the three flights of stairs as fast as we could; tripping over bodies of civilians and the occasional police officer. I was saddened to see that there wasn't a single Covenant body, not even a damn grunt. Just humans…helpless men, women, and children. Covenant bastards hadn't even spared a little girl as she clung to her parents. Glancing at them, I could feel the bile rise in my throat; begging to come up.

Forcing myself to look away from the blood splattered walls, I kicked open the door to the building's lobby and swept the area with my rifle. Spent shell casings littered the floor, knocking against my boots as I walked through; Kaipo and Marx following behind me.

"Banner, they went down in the alleyway." Kaipo said opening the door and leaning out. "Smoke's getting pretty damn thick; every Covie in the area's going to see it."

"Then we gotta haul ass."

Racing out the door, I scanned the rooftops and windows, my boots crunching on broken glass littering the sidewalk. Seeing nothing, I sprinted the rest of the way to the alleyway; finding the Hornet lying on its side with smoke pouring out of its rotors. Sprawled out in front of it was the pilot, his helmet set beside him with his hands clasped over his chest. I had never learned the man's name and the beam that killed him had obliterated his nametag.

"Pilot's name was Rodriquez; bleed out before we got to him." Jones said as she came around from behind the Hornet with Dell's arm slung over her shoulder. Her face was pale, but it must have been from the near-death crash. Most people don't make it through one. "Dell's got the worst of the crash, fractured his tibia when we crashed. Parker's fine."

"Yeah, I'm fine…just some broken ribs." Parker muttered, wincing as he took Dell from Jones; lowering him to the ground. "Marx, got any biofoam?"

Brushing past me, Marx knelt in front of Parker, a can of biofoam in her hands. I couldn't stand the stuff though it did have its uses. Always felt like a hundred bee stings to me when it entered.

"Lieutenant, how are you?" I asked, noticing a trickle of blood coming from her hair line; her helmet nowhere to be seen.

She stared at me before gesturing for me to follow. I noticed a slight limp in her side and the side of her armor was scuffed from the crash. Just as we disappeared from view, she suddenly collapsed, a soft gasp coming from her.

"Lt.!"

I jumped to her side, wrapping my arm around her and laying her back against the wall by the Hornet. My hand came away sticky with her blood and I looked at her with shock; a cocky smirk on her face as her eyes went to her side. Peeling back the tatters of her shirt, I saw a hastily wrapped compress, soaked with blood, wrapped around her side.

"Some shards of glass got in between my armor…Dell needed my biofoam for his leg cuz his got wrecked. I'm tired, Banner...never been this tired before." Jones whispered as her head dipped down.

"Hey now, stay with me, Lt."

Reaching back, I pulled my own can of biofoam from my butt pack. I never left without one, but due to its small size…one use. Jones tried weakly to push the can away, ordering me to save it in case someone else needed it. Pushing her hands away, I slipped the needle of the can in her wound; depressing the trigger and as she cried out I pulled her to my chest; muffling her cries and doing my best to console her. I couldn't help but notice the smell of cherry blossoms in her hair as she dug herself farther into my chest.

The sound of approaching boots caused me to spin on the spot; seeing Kaipo cradling his rifle with a smirk on his face.

"Should I leave you two alone?"

Hearing a soft sigh, I looked down to see that Jones had fallen asleep against my chest. The shock and blood loss plus the biofoam's natural painkiller had put her out. She was out of danger, but now we'd have to carry her.

"No, let's move it. Bunker's across the street." I said, lifting Jones up and cradling her against me; her arms instinctively wrapping around my neck in her sleep.

I couldn't help but blush and there was no way to shield my reddening face. It was times like these that I remembered my youth. Walking past him, I stood in front of the squad; Dell's leg wrapped in gauze.

"Can you walk, Dell?"

"Can limp, but that's about it." He replied, pushing himself up and using his rocket launcher as an improvised walking stick.

Marx rose as well, giving me an odd look. Ignoring her, I walked past them and handed Jones over to Parker; who did not look happy about it one bit.

Scanning the street, I saw nothing and ducked my head down; sprinting across the street. Leaping through a broken window, I swept the lobby and came up empty; just more shell casings and dead humans.

"Goddammit, Banner!" Kaipo's voice sure carried well when he was angry.

Sticking my head out the window, I waved for them to follow; covering them as they entered the building. Dell limped to the reception desk with Marx trailing behind him. Kaipo pulled the mission datapad out of Jones' pack and booted the device up.

"Okay…bunker is two levels down. Elevator's this way."

"Alright, I take point. Parker, you get the rear; everyone else in the middle."

We started forward, piling into the elevator and pressing the button for the bunker; the doors closing on us. The most annoying elevator music began playing as we stood cramped together. The constant thrumming of an acoustic guitar and the annoying drawl of the singer sent chills down my spine and irritated me beyond belief.

"Hey, it's Johnny Cash!" Parker exclaimed. "They've got great taste."

"Are you serious?" I asked in disbelief; turning to see Parker's smiling face.

"Yeah, he's the greatest. Why, you don't think so?"

The others only groaned and I was about to come up with a witty reply when the doors to the elevator dinged and opened to a long hallway…and an ugly horde of grunts.

"Kill'em, kill them all!" I screamed as I opened fire.

The grunts screamed and many turned and ran towards the sealed blast door; red-hot from their plasma bolts. There was not a speck of cover in the elevator save for the inner walls which Dell and Parker had both taken and the hallway only had stone columns which had begun to shatter due to our outgoing fire. Grunt blood began to splash against the walls and methane tanks sparked, sizzled, and exploded; sending guts flying into the elevator.

"Kill the humans!"

My eyes widened as an elite wielding an energy sword charged forward…speaking English. I didn't have to say anything as the entire squad focused on the elite. It roared as its shields sparked and with a show of strength, leapt forward and hid behind one of the columns. Purple blood trailed behind it, its wound apparent.

"Out of the elevator, NOW!"

Spilling out of the elevator, Parker took point, firing away at a couple of grunts who tried to cower behind a pillar; spilling their blue blood. Parker hooted as he fired away; ejecting his magazine and reloading just as the elite rounded the corner; swinging its sword. Parker barely raised his rifle in time for the blade to slice through it and into his armor; the sound of his screams drowning out the sound of gunfire.

"Parker!" Dell screamed, his voice cracking as tears streamed down his face.

The elite roared as it turned to face us, its mandibles opening up and showing razor-sharp teeth dripping with saliva. It leapt forward again, its shields sparking and failing as Kaipo fired a single round from his rifle; blowing through its chest plate and bringing the elite to its knees. Kaipo fired again, joined by my own rifle and I grinned as the bullets riddled the elite's body.

Yet, it refused to die; its black armor was soaked with its own blood. Looking up at us, the elite weakly growled, its remaining mandible twitching slightly. I raised my rifle again, aiming between its eyes.

"Gotta give it to them, resilient."

"Yup, damn Spec-Ops don't know when to die." Kaipo muttered as he ejected his magazine and inserting another.

The elite weakly reached for its sword, touching it just as its head exploded; splattering Kaipo and myself in blood. Behind the elites corpse sat Parker; his smoking M6 shaking in his hand.

"Yeah…neither do I." He said as he fell to a knee.

That's when the blast door hissed and began to lower into the floor; a trio of armed guards surrounding a single man in a torn suit. We must have been a sight to see. Our armor was covered in blood and we were surrounded by Covie corpses; we must have looked like Spartans.

"Holy shit…Spartans."

Yup, thought so.

**Well, here is another installment of Bottom of the Barrel. I hoped you enjoyed it cuz I'm having fun writing it. So maybe y'all should review it and help me out cuz reviews are pretty nice…so go on…press the little button on the screen.**


	4. That Oh Shit Moment

**February 20, 2531 (Military Calendar) **

**Arcadia-Pirth City**

"Again, Mayor Krant, we are not Spartans or ODST's. Just good old marines." Jones sighed as she ran a hand over her bandaged forehead.

Once they had reached the bunker, Marx was able to take a better look at Jones' wounds and helped her regain consciousness. Luckily, she didn't know about how she acted while unconscious. She had then taken back control of the mission and was now very exasperated due to the mayor hailing them as Spartans, ODSTs, and God himself.

"Then how were you able to kill all those aliens?" Mayor Krant asked; his upturned mustache twitching as he spoke. "My own guards were unable to take down one of them."

"Superior firepower." I grumbled as I stuck a cigarette in mouth; toying with my lighter. "Get enough lead downrange, you're bound to hit something."

"Yes, but as we were saying before we got on the subject of killing; how many civilians are down here?" Jones asked, her eyes watching me as I lit my cigarette.

"Um let's see…including myself, my family, staff, and guards there are forty-five people. But there are wounded and my guards would just get in your way." Krant muttered as he shot a glance toward his guards. "Have another one of those?"

Taking a long drag off my cigarette, I tossed the mayor my pack, watching his shaking hands slowly pull one out. Reaching over, I lit it for him and relieved him of my pack. The mayor sighed as the nicotine helped to calm his nerves and he stuck it in the corner of his mouth; puffing on it on and off.

"Forty-five civilians with my squad makes fifty-one passengers. We're going to need more than two Pelicans. Banner, get command on the horn and get us some more support." Jones ordered.

"On it." I said, glancing at the mayor and Jones before walking out the door; being flanked by one of the mayor's guards.

"You got a reason for trailing me?" I asked the guard, glancing behind me.

"Uh, the ma-mayor told me to make sure you've got everything and don't get uh well, lost." The guard stuttered nervously, shifting his gaze downwards.

The guard couldn't have been any younger than my brother and the way he acted showed. He walked with a slight limp in his right leg and he had an outdated MA5B slung over his shoulder.

"The bunker is two rooms, a large sleeping area and the meeting room we were just in. I don't think I can get lost, kid." I stopped in front of him; turning to look him in the eyes. "What's the real reason?"

"Ho-how is the planet doing? Are the civilians safe? My parents were supposed to be on the second flight out…"

"Most of the civilians got out in time; the fleet managed to get most of the population out, but the Covies are still on the planet. How do you think we got shot down?" I joked, sucking in more smoke, sniffing as it trickled out of my nostrils.

"I'm just glad that they got out. I've been with the mayor since it all started." The kid said, waving his hands in front of him to clear the smoke.

"What's your name, kid?" I asked, walking down the hallway into the larger area.

The room held the remaining members of the mayor's staff, family, and my squad. They had separated themselves from my squad who were being watched by the two remaining guards. Thankfully the only injuries were minor burns and abrasions suffered during the attack, but most of the civilians were starting to suffer from minor malnutrition. Bunker supplies were only meant for a few, not this many people.

"Charlie, Charlie Rent." Charlie said, extending his hand.

"Well, Charlie, we're going to do our best to get you to your parents." I shook his hand, patting him on the shoulder before turning and going to find Marx hunched over the radio that the mayor had used for the distress signal.

"Lt. wants command on the line, get us some more Pelicans. Krant is up our asses bout getting out of here and soon." I said, leaning over Marx as she cranked up the radio.

It was an old antique from the colonization process and literally needed to be cranked. It was a miracle that it could even connect to UNSC frequencies.

"Firebase Alpha, this is Echo squad, come in. I repeat, this is Echo sq-

"We read you Echo. Have you found the mayor, is he secured?" Command's signal was scratchy at best and cut out every other word.

"Mayor Krant is secured as are his staff and family. Requesting additional Pelicans for evac; repeat additional Pelicans for evac." Marx said, holding a hand to her ear.

"Roger that, Echo. Additional Pelicans are on the way. Be at the evac site ASAP." Command cut out as static washed over the link.

"Dammit, something's blocking our signal." Marx muttered as she threw her headset onto the table. "What's the plan?"

Stamping out my cigarette, I slid my lighter into my breast pocket and picked my rifle up from the floor. Looking at her, I simply smirked as I slid the charging handle back; letting it pop back with a satisfying bang of metal on metal.

"We're going to go to the evac of course; I've got some whiskey waiting for me back at the mess hall and a promise of leave for the whole company back on the _Justice_. Care to join me?"

"Maybe, let's get off this god-forsaken planet first. Oorah?" Marx stood up from her seat; slinging her rifle over one shoulder.

The rest of the squad stood with us, Dell shakier than the rest but he could walk on his own now. Kaipo grinned as he sheathed his combat knife and Parker…well; Parker looked like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed; good for us, bad for Covies. The mayor came striding out of the conference room with a tired-looking Jones trailing behind him. I locked eyes with her and watched her sage green eyes flash as I winked at her playfully; grinning as she blushed.

"Oorah."

Xxxxxxx

Taking point with Parker trailing behind me, I stepped over the Covie corpses littering the hallway and winced at the squeaking of boots on still wet blood. Damn stuff seemed to glow it was so bright. Echo spread themselves out throughout the hallway with Dell and Jones bringing up the rear with the mayor's guards and the large group of civilians clinging to one another as they stared at the gruesome sight laying before them.

"Ma'am, recommend the guards take the rear of the group when we hit the streets." I said over a private channel to Jones.

She didn't reply, but I saw her turn to the guards and then they nodded; going to the rear. The sound of retching filled the hallway as the civilians waded through the gore; the smell beginning to get to me even.

We managed to separate the civilians into elevator groups and once we hit the lobby, everyone was on high alert. The sun had begun to set and the last blood-red rays of light slipped through the shattered windows. The sound of distant battle echoed in the distance, but the ground shook as something massive exploded nearby; dust falling from the ceiling.

Kaipo took the lead and stuck his head out one of the windows, a series of violent curses running forth from his mouth.

"Problem?"

"Hell yes, we've got a platoon of Covies coming up the street with a Ghost escorting it. Looks like they just blew apart a fuel tanker for shits and giggles." Kaipo said as he raised his rifle.

"Lt. we've got a platoon of Covies with Ghost escort; orders?" I said, motioning for Parker to take the farther entrance and for Marx to flank Kaipo.

"Do not engage, we're only a mile from the evac site. We'll skirt around the building; out the side exits, now." Jones ordered, crossing the lobby and pushing open the side door.

I followed behind her, clearing the alley and then motioning for the others to start joining us and out onto the next street. The young guard, Charlie, was the first out and took up position opposite to where I stood. His battered rifle at the ready, he kept an eye on the Covies as we herded the civilians out and down the alley. Kaipo and Marx brought up the rear with the two guards, a fatter man and his absolute opposite, an extremely skinny black man.

The fat guard began to huff and puff as the group started on an easy jog; the sound of shifting armor and the slap of shoes on pavement the only sound other than the occasional explosion or stutter of plasma. His face was red and he began to slow down only for Kaipo to grip his arm and pull him along roughly. Nothing could slow us down.

We were making good time and I grinned as the distance marker fell closer and closer to zero meters. That's when it happened.

The black guard had strayed too far from the group and the cover offered by the buildings when purple crystal sliced into his thigh. He howled in agony as he grabbed at it; trying desperately to pull it free. Too late did I shout my warning and the crystal exploded, shearing off his entire right leg and one of his hands. Blood splashed on the pavement and the air exploded with more crystalline shards streaking towards us.

Rushing forward, I slung the man over my shoulder, his garbled cries becoming weaker and weaker. Then the worse thing happened, the civilians panicked and bolted. Numerous were picked off immediately as Echo returned fire; doing the best we could to corral them back together.

"Stay together, dammit!" Jones screamed as she pulled the mayor and his family into an alley and shielded them with her body. "Banner, we're attracting too much attention, move it!"

I had been trying to stop the bleeding of the guard when I heard her shout above the gunfire. "Lt. the civvies!"

"The mayor is our priority, now move it!"

"Goddammit! You fuckers!" I shouted as another shard exploded nearby and sent shrapnel into the black guard; killing him instantly. "Echo, form up. Protect the mayor."

"Eric, what about the rest of them?" I knew Kaipo was pissed when he used my first name.

Cursing to myself, I left the bloodied guard and began firing up at the windows; stepping over corpses of people who had just been breathing.

"Move it, private!" I barked, unleashing a burst of fire which sent a jackal flying back into the building it was firing from. It was a start.

We began to haul ass and in our wake, we left over two dozen fresh corpses. Running and gunning was never one of my fortes as we fired at every single flashing window. The fat guard managed to dodge a plasma bolt only to run straight into another; his armor burning like tissue paper as he ripped it from his chest.

Shoving him from behind, I took up the rear and turned, backpedaling and firing wildly at the windows. Diving to the side, I narrowly missed becoming a well-done filet as the Ghost came charging up the street; running over a jackal it was escorting. It was one of those oh shit moments.

The elite leaned backed and roared as it opened up again and I cried out as a bolt grazed my shoulder and then one slammed into my side. I could smell my flesh cooking as I struggling to stand; the ghost boasting it propulsion to run me down.

Accepting my fate, I closed my eyes, imagining the look on my brother's face when he received the notice of my death. Would he care?

Yet, luck was on my side. The Ghost braked suddenly but it wasn't fast enough to dodge the rocket from Dell soaring right into the rear of the vehicle. It exploded and pasted the elite across the pavement.

"I owe you, Dell!" I shouted as I made it to my feet, hobbling after the group.

"You can start with that whiskey you were talking about." Dell replied, firing his second tube and blowing a squad of grunts sky high.

"Deal."

"Evac dead ahead!" Jones shouted over the squad comm as she took a knee; sending accurate bursts downrange and into several zealous grunts.

"Kaipo, eight 'o'clock." Parker shouted, sweated streaming down his face and soaking his uniform.

Kaipo spun and fired from the hip; his high-powered round striking a grunt on the hip where its plasma grenades were hanging. They exploded in a brilliant shower of energy and incinerated several comrades.

"Holy shit, no scope!" Kaipo pumped his fist as he began firing again.

His rounds tore through grunts and hit those unlucky enough to be standing behind them at the time. "Running low." He shouted as he ejected his second to last magazine.

I was about to shout something inspiring when a magical sound erupted above us. The sound of four 70mm auto cannons unleashing hell on the pursuing Covies was music to my deafened ears. Two of the Pelicans landed and three marines rushed forth firing and waving the mayor and his family on board. I limped forward, shoving Dell and Parker towards one and took up position by Jones; firing over her head.

Fully loaded, the Pelicans lifted off, soaring up into the atmosphere. The two others landed and I backed away, tapping Jones as I fell back, covering her as she fell back as well. I basically threw Charlie onto the blood tray of the Pelican and turned to catch Jones in my arms. She cried out as she fell into my arms for the second time in the same day; this time a plasma bolt in the center of her back.

I had a feeling of nausea as the pilot fueled his thrusters and sent us soaring off the ground. The bay doors hushed closed and the lights turned red as we entered the atmosphere. I tore Jones' armor from her body and threw it aside; patting down the burned areas of her BDU shirt. She gasped as my fingers brushed her wound, barely a blister.

"Low powered bolt, damn lucky, Lt." I whispered, cradling her in my arms. I don't know why I could let her go, I barely knew her, but instinct took over…until Marx pulled her from me and began dressing the burn.

"Yeah, luck of the Irish." She joked, pulling her helmet off.

"You're Irish?" I laughed, pulling my own off and throwing it aside.

"Nope."

It wasn't that funny, but I didn't stop laughing until we reached the Iron Justice and boy, that took awhile.


	5. Cold Showers

**February 20, 2531 (Military Calendar)**

**Iron Justice-Slipspace to Reach**

After boarding the Justice, we immediately hit Slipspace; our job on Arcadia finished. It was now time to get Mayor Krant to UNSC High Command and to finally get the badly needed replacements. During the brief stay on Arcadia, we had lost another dozen marines due to injury or death and Echo Company was dwindling…one could say that our death toll was getting high.

Anyway, after getting Jones to the med bay and being poked and prodded by an agonizingly ugly doctor; they released me with nothing but salve on my shoulders and biofoam soaked bandages wrapping my abdomen. The Ghost's bolt had burned through my armor and burned through the first few layers of skin; it would scar, but lucky it hadn't nailed one of my joints.

Jones had gotten off easy as well, just some salve for herself and proper stitches from the ugly nurse. Yet, something felt off, the entire time she had this stare in her eyes and normally I would understand that it could be the beginning of combat fatigue; but it would have started earlier. She had left the med bay long before I had and left me to report to Captain Hicks and my Spook, Commander Parks. Needless to say, she was pissed at the world and brushed past me before I could even finish my debriefing. I think she is on permanent PMS, but don't tell her I said that; she has a pistol.

Thankfully, the captain released me soon after on orders to relax and unwind which I promptly obeyed. I showered, ate some surprisingly good slop, and was now lying in my bunk tossing a ball back and forth against the wall. Kaipo was out of the room for the night as he would be vid-chatting with his wife, April, and baby girl, Rebecca. They had been married right after April had graduated from high school and she was attending a university on Reach thanks to Kaipo funding her education. I didn't expect to see much of Kaipo during our leave, but he says that April cooks a damn good roast; something I'm looking forward to.

I had tried writing a letter to my brother, but after dear Ian, I was hopelessly lost. I knew he was normally stationed on Reach, but I couldn't bring myself to look up his current whereabouts. Maybe I'm just a coward when it comes to family. After my older brother, Timothy, had been killed on Harvest and Ian just joining the ODST's, I had separated myself from the family, only receiving packages in the mail on occasion.

Tossing the ball again, I jumped when there came a loud banging on the door, causing me to miss the ball and receive a knock to my stitches. Cursing, I went to the door and opened it to reveal a very relaxed looking Lieutenant Jones. She was dressed in her civvies, just plain jeans and a dark blue t-shirt, but on her it looked amazing. Shit, still my superior.

"You, uh, look relaxed, Lt." Smooth dipshit.

She giggled as she brushed past me, that's when I caught a glance of auburn glass bottles tucked behind her back. Setting the six-pack on the small table in the room, she pulled one out and tossed one to me; grabbing another for herself.

"What're we celebrating, Lt.?" I asked, popping the top and raising my bottle.

"Life and the joy that comes with it." Clinking her bottle against mine, she threw it back and guzzled the beer straight down.

Not to be undone, I quickly followed suit and again and then again. Not another word was spoken between us as we finished three bottles each. I felt a slight buzz edging across my body and I grinned at Jones as she tried to get the last drop of Shiner out of the bottle.

"Lt. if you want more, just ask. Good 'ole whiskey." I said as I pulled a dusty bottle and two glasses from under my bunk. "Jack Daniels, 2529. Pretty good year…I think."

"Hey, it's booze. Did you know I never drank in college? I was more of a bookworm than a sorority girl; didn't fit in." Jones said as she took the bottle from me.

"So you joined the Corps?"

"Yeah, after earning my degree, I walked to the recruiting post in my graduation gown and enlisted in the prestigious UNSC. Got my commission three months later and shipped out to Echo Company. Funny how fast things can change." Jones said as she stared at her half-full glass; the brown liquid sloshing around as she spoke.

"Too true, I stupidly enlisted after high school and was on Harvest before I could remember my own graduation." I laughed as I sipped at the whiskey; sighing at the burn.

"Where'd you go to school?"

"Xavier High on Mars. Class of 2528, go Wildcats!" I joked, raising my glass. "You?"

"New Port High on Earth, class of 2526. I went to the Luna University, class of 2530. How old are you now, Banner?" Jones asked, forgetting her glass and leaning forward on her arms.

I couldn't help but grin as she seemed so interested in my life. She reminded me of Nikki; always asking about other people's stories.

"I turned twenty-one…five days ago, I believe."

"Well, hey! Happy birthday…wait, I'm older than you? Aww hells bells; you look like you're at least five years older than me with that stubble." She said as leaned back in her chair. "I turned twenty-three two months ago when were in cyro."

"Well, happy birthday, Lt." I cheered again, draining my glass of its last dregs.

"Not Lt."

"Hm?"

Jones shifted in her seat as she sipped at her glass; her face flushing from the liquid.

"You always call me by my rank and barely my last name…I haven't heard my first name since I enlisted. Just once I'd like to hear Brooke again before I…" She trailed off and I knew what she was thinking of.

Rising up, I crossed over the table and sat on Kaipo's bunk next to her. Taking her face in my hand, I looked her in the eyes; speaking slowly and with steel in my voice.

"Brooke…you're not going to die. You've got all of Echo behind you and me; you're going to be fine." I felt tears begin to run down her face and I gently began to wipe them away. "This war can't last forever and you will go back home when your tour is up."

Jones… Brooke, sniffed before she latched herself to my chest; her cries muffled against my shirt. Stunned, I wrapped my arms around her and gently rocked her back and forth. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but her cries slowed and stopped after an unknown time.

Brooke looked up at me and sniffed once before she leaned in faster than I could think; her soft lips pressing against mine gently. Surprised, I pushed her away, stuttering wildly.

"Lt…Jon-Brooke! What're you doing? You're drunk." I couldn't help the fact that a beautiful woman had just rounded first base, but still she was a superior officer.

"I'm not that drunk, Eric, I know what I'm doing." Brooke leaned in again and I couldn't help but kiss back this time; already drunk on her lips. "I want to feel alive."

"We could get into some serious shit…" I weakly argued.

"We're marines, we can handle it."

She kissed me again and I kissed back; our lips moving in synch. I lifted her up from the chair and carried her to my bunk; gently laying her down before kissing her again. She gasped as I ran my fingers underneath her shirt and along her stomach. Her lips tasted like the whiskey mixed with apples and I tore myself away to land kisses along her neck.

"Wait." She whispered softly; grabbing my hand.

I nodded and jumped off the bunk; sorting through my locker and chest before I managed to find a single blue box. I couldn't believe my luck as I tore the box open and fished one of the wraps out; turning around and smiling at Brooke…only to be greeted by soft snoring; her fiery red hair draped over her face rising and falling slowly with her chest.

Leaning against the locker, I tucked the condom away and walked over to the bunk. Pulling the blanket over her body, I made sure she was completely covered before settling on top of Kaipo's bunk. Sighing, I folded my hands behind my head and closed my eyes; thinking of what may have happened and I couldn't help but grin.

"Worth waiting for."

Xxxxxx

I woke early the next morning; leaving Brooke asleep in my bunk and grabbing my workout gear. The gym was empty except for a few army troopers who nodded their heads in respect, but gave me my space. I had nothing against the army, but marines and they didn't mesh well most of the time.

Wrapping my hands and readying my stance, I sent a flurry of punches into an already patched up punching bag. Swinging to and fro with each punch, I vented the frustration from the night before. Sweat began to pour down my face as I switched stances and worked in kicks along with elbows. I had learned mixed martial arts when I was in boot and became hooked by what they showed us causing me to find a trainer every time I got leave.

"Oi, jarhead!"

I turned to see one of the army guys waving me over; his meaty arms corded with muscle. I'm not saying I was intimidated, but damn, that guy was a brick with legs.

"Help ya?" I asked as I sipped cool water from my bottle.

"Aye, you bet yer ass." The man had a thick Irish accent which complemented his dark red hair. I almost begged him to say 'They're after me lucky charms.'

"You see, me and my mates couldn't help but notice your fighting and well, since we're here, why not a friendly wager on who's the better fighter?" Irish said as he pointed at the boxing ring.

"I see. And who would I be fighting?" I asked curiously, sipping more water.

"Me." A younger man walked forward dressed in marine fatigue pants and boots with a Ranger logo on the front.

The Rangers were hardcore soldiers; even the marines knew that. They flew into battle with literal jetpacks strapped to their backs and were basically the Army's shock troopers. I believe I was now surrounded by all Rangers.

"Okay, but what's in it for me?"

"How does fifty creds sound?" The younger man said; beginning to hop in place.

"Make it seventy and you've got a deal." I said with a cheeky grin on my face. I think I could take the guy; he didn't seem too tough. Boy was I wrong.

For the next ten minutes we stumbled back and forth as we fought tooth and nail for the upper hand. Twice I sent him reeling with a side kick and twice he sent me to the mat with a powerful haymaker.

"You're…good. For a jarhead." The guy said as he swept his leg forward.

Leaping over it, I drilled him with a knuckle cracking punch which should have knocked most guys out cold. I hissed as I felt my knuckle pop out of place and then slide back into place involuntary.

"Same to you. Rangers are pretty hardheaded." I learned that quickly as he sent me to the floor with a head butt and for the next thirty seconds were rolled and grappled on the floor.

Thrusting upwards, I managed to reverse him and begin to land a series of punches which slammed his head back and sent blood streaming out his nose.

"Come on, Lt. keep your hands up!" Irish yelled from the ringside.

Over the short time we had been fighting, we had attracted a small crowd of marines, army, and swabbies who had begun to take bets; shouting for their favorite.

"Keep it going, Banner!" I heard Kaipo's voice above the rest and I knew he would kill me if I didn't win now.

I slipped another right hook past the Lt.'s block and then an elbow which sent more blood splashing on the mat. I raised my fist again to send him on his way only to stop myself. I could feel the rage, hate, and adrenaline all telling me to continue the onslaught, but like the trained marine I was, I managed to stop myself.

"Good fight, Lt." I reached down to pick up the officer who was pressing his shirt to his bloody nose. I patted him on the shoulder before slipping out of the ring and to the praises of my fellow marines.

"That, my friend, was an amazing fight. He nearly got you with that head butt." Kaipo said as we collected my credits; over two hundred do to the betting pool now.

"Yeah, who knew officers could fight." I joked as I headed towards the showers. Kaipo muttered something about cyro, but the showers beckoned and I never ignored a hot shower…or maybe a cold one this time.

Freshly showered, I made my way to the cafeteria; my stomach growling something fierce underneath my shirt. Of course it was the normal olive drape color issued to everyone, but occasionally one could see grey of black; such variation.

Grabbing an apple and carton of chocolate milk, I found an empty seat by a large viewport, the blue streams of slipspace trailing alongside us. I was actually surprised that most of the crew hadn't gone to cyro yet and I knew that the damn pods had my name on it. Sooner or later, I knew I would have to go.

"Chocolate milk, really?"

I grinned as I heard her voice beside me. Brooke's tray clattered on the table as she settled into the chair in front of me. Her dogtags hung low against her grey UNSC shirt and I couldn't help but notice the swell of her bust and…shit no, cold shower didn't help.

"Yes, ma'am. Milk builds strong bones and hell, who doesn't like chocolate." I raised my carton in a salute before guzzling it down.

"Uh, Eric…about last night."

"Ah yeah, what was with that?" I asked, leaning forward quickly, catching her off guard.

"I…I never…" She stuttered softly, her nervousness oh so cute.

"I mean, I had a few drinks and passed out completely on Kaipo's bunk. Glad you didn't take advantage of me, Lt." I winked.

Her face went from bright red to a gentle pink as she realized that I was covering for her. It wasn't proper for an officer to fraternize with an enlisted man; no matter how sexy I was…ha ha, I'm just hilarious right?

"Well…it wouldn't have been proper for me to do that to such an innocent person. So, what happened to your face?" She asked; reaching forward to touch the growing bruise on my cheek.

I winced as her fingers grazed the bruise, so soft. I coughed and looked away, pulling at my collar to reduce the heat. "I sparred with an army guy this morning; he got me a few times."

"Ah, well shit happens I suppose." She said with a grin as she leaned forward; her green eyes looking into my blue. "I…uh, forgot where my cyro pod is, corporal. Mind escorting me?"

"Well…" I started.

"It's an order."

"Well, if you insist." I offered my arm like a man had in an old vid I saw when I was younger.

Brooke took a quick look around before slipping her own arm in with mine. "Such a gentleman, I'm surprised."

"Hell, this is just a slow day; I could always pull off being a posh gentleman with the ladies." I said in an extremely horrible English accent.

"Oh, I'll be the judge of that." Brooke whispered as she stood on her toes to plant her lips on my already burning cheek.

Something told me that leave was going to incredibly interesting and I was perfectly fine with that. I just hope I wouldn't have to get dressed up for anything…suits make me chaff.

**Author's Note: Well, here's another chapter, hope y'all enjoyed it. Poor Eric, girl's passing out right before can give a man some trouble; thankfully that's what cold showers are for, am I right?**

**Just wanted to say thanks to the reviews, CrumbledCandyWrapper, TheAwesOme One**, **and the guest who** **all have made me want to continue writing this story. Thanks y'all, now do me a big favor and press that little review button…if you do I'll give you a cookie.**


	6. Letters from Home

**March 15, 2531. (Military Calendar) **

**Rea**

**ch-Epsilon Eridani System. **

They say you don't dream in cyro, but those experts must have never spent time in the pod. They didn't tell you that it would cause you to dream about past mistakes or the fact that no matter what you wouldn't be able to wake up on your own. They didn't tell you about the frozen torture that awaited every veteran of the UNSC Armed Forces.

The dream was always the same; beginning on Harvest.

I would be running, always running, and nothing could stop me as bullets and plasma streamed past me. Diving beside Lieutenant Jinn as he screamed into the radio; tears rolling down his face as he begged for relief. Well, he got it alright.

Two Shortsword bombers carrying napalm soared overhead as they zeroed in on the Covenant strongpoint and dropped their payloads. And it would have worked too; if the Jinn had given them the correct coordinates. He dropped the payload directly on top of Frankie, Nylund, and…Nikki. Sweet, sweet Nikki. I couldn't bear the sight of her screaming as the flames burned through her armor; the sound of my rifle echoing in my ears as I put all three of my friends down. Oh, the Covies were killed alright, but my friends were too.

I gagged at the smell of burnt flesh in my nostrils as I threw Jinn to the ground; the sniveling coward babbling about combat loss and the greater good. Screw that I said as I tore his helmet off and began striking him; the feeling of his bones cracking underneath my fists. Blood coated my fists and splattered my face as I then slammed the butt of my rifle into his ribs making him cough spittle mixed with blood up. I would be a liar if I said I didn't enjoy the sound of him screaming for help and only the butt of someone's rifle striking me made me stop.

The dream always ended then, I never knew who struck me and I never will; but I knew I would always carry the scars of that day. Mentally and physically.

In the distant corner of my conscious, I became aware of a soft hissing noise and the expelling of gases as the pod's seal broke and began the defrosting process. Cold air swept my chest and I felt goose bumps prickle across my skin. At first, like always, there's the slight burning sensation across my entire body and the first breath. The first breath is the worst; always more of a cough than breath as I struggle to hack the fluid up from my lungs. It was supposed to replace the nutrients lost during cyro-sleep and to me and many others it always tasted like lime-flavored mucus.

Rising up out of the gel bed, I leaned over the side and spat the fluid out. I couldn't stand the taste, never could and it was definitely not the first thing I wanted to taste when I woke up. I could see my breath as I shakily climbed from the pod. Cursing the cold floor and cold air, I stumbled into the locker room and found myself surrounded by UNSC personnel dressing and trying desperately to warm their bodies.

"Damn pods, I can never get used to the wake up." Kaipo muttered as sat next to me. His pod must have been scheduled to open earlier than mine as he was already clothed. "You okay?"

"Yeah, another nightmare." I said, holding my head in my hands. The stubble on my chin had grown during cyro and I rubbed it with frustration. I'd need to shave again; damn regs.

"I'm sorry, bro." He said, patting me on the back and standing up. "I'm going to the mess hall, see ya there?"

I didn't reply, only opening my locker and fishing out my uniform. As I pulled on the olive drab clothes I knew one thing for sure; today would not be a good one.

Xxxxxxxxx

Why is it that I'm always right when it comes to me having a bad day? As soon as I walked out of the cyro bay, I walked straight into Commander Parks and yet again, she was pissed. Instantly she ordered me into her office, which happened to have been moved directly outside the cyro bay, and began to berate me.

"Stand at attention, marine." Parks snapped, pulling a file from her desk. "So, it seems that you've proven to HIGHCOM that men like you can redeem themselves."

"With all due respect ma'am, what in the hell are you getting at?" I asked angrily. "Men like me?"

"I mean men that have less than perfect records who now have a chance to prove their loyalty to the UNSC. Congratulations, staff sergeant. You've proven that at the bottom, there can be something worthwhile." Parks said, picking at her nails absently.

"Staff sergeant?" I asked, my anger now replaced by confusion. Last I remembered, I was still a corporal.

"Looks like it; you've been promoted and reassigned. Your new CO will have your orders. You are to report to the mess hall with your squad for briefing. Once that is done, you will continue to serve with full pay and benefits given to UNSC personnel and your record expunged." Parks said as she rose from her desk and handed over a large envelope along with a black box which must have held my new rank.

The envelope was packed full of what felt like letters and had the words 'Top Secret' stamped on the front.

"Our relationship is over, Banner, you're a free man. Dismissed."

I fingered the tab of the envelope before tucking it under my arm and snapping a salute my drill instructor would have been proud to see. Twisting on my heel, I strode out of the office and walked like a great weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I was free now…seemed weird to think of it. Not having a spook watching my every move.

Kaipo shouted to me as I walked into the cafeteria; waving me over to his table where he, Brooke, and the rest of the squad sat. They all had goofy grins on their faces as I set the envelope down on the table.

"What?" I asked as they were eyeing the envelope.

"You gonna open it, Staff?" Parker asked as he spooned cereal into his mouth.

"Wait, wait. You all know what's in here and that I got promoted?"

The group all grinned at that, especially Brooke as she bit into an apple; slivers of juice sliding down her chin. She giggled as she wiped it away with her sleeve and started poking the envelope.

"We know it's something big and Commander Parks put your promotion through. Now open the damn thing!" Brooke ordered, her words choppy due to the apple bits in her mouth. "Parks told us it was something important to you."

I held the envelope in front of me and slowly eased the tab of the cover open. Upending it, out spilled what looked like over two dozen letters, old fashioned letters which meant it had to be from my parents. They had always hated sending vid messages unlike my brothers who thought they were much easier and opted to hand write them.

"Letters?" Kaipo asked as he picked one up; the corner warped from being packed for so long. "I guess Parks must have wanted to make sure you were committed before handing them over.

"From my parents, they always wrote them." I whispered as I tore into one of them. I knew I should have been mad, but I had letters…from my parents. Anger could wait.

The handwriting was small and scratchy, definitely my father's writing. The letter was dated almost two months ago; back when I was on Harvest. They must have been told I was out of prison. Diving into the letter, I was soon hearing my father's voice in my head.

_Eric, I know it must be difficult being back in the UNSC, but I know that you will make the most of the opportunity that God has given you. I hope that wherever you are you will stay as safe as you can be and stay true to yourself. I know that my ramblings always seemed to get to you, but know that we at the church are pulling for you and your new squad._

_In other news, your brother has been reassigned to the UNSC Atlas where his ODST squad is providing support for the squids. Son, I am sorry for the lack in letters, but your mother's cancer has progressed and I just couldn't write. But always remember that we are proud of you. _

_Your loving father, Marcus Banner._

Short and sweet, just like my father had always been like. It was hard to believe that my priest of a father had distinguished himself during the Insurrection in the Corps. He was a soft-spoken man even before the Marines and had found his faith when he met my mother.

"Good letter?" Brooke asked as she noticed the tears beginning to brim in my eyes.

"It's a damn good letter." I replied as I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. "I'll read the rest later. Parks mentioned that I got reassigned so I won't be around for long."

"Wrong there, bro. You've been permanently reassigned to 1st Recon, Echo Squad." Kaipo said as he leaned back with a grin on his face. "Since Captain Marsh is now on medical leave, Lt. here is now in command and top brass have reassigned us to Recon. We've hit the big leagues now."

I looked to Brooke as she simply nodded and smiled; her grin infecting me as I began to laugh and grin some more. I had finally found my place in the universe and for once it wasn't going to change.

"Banner, you're second in the squad now and because of that, you have to buy the beers on leave. Now let's go!" Parker shouted as he and Dell sprinted from the room; their bags slung over their shoulders. Kaipo followed soon after; putting a wrapped box on the top of his bag before leaving Brooke and I alone.

"So, now that we're alone…" Brooke whispered as she leaned across the table.

"Actually, you're not."

Brooke yelped as the holographic projection of Naomi appeared in the middle of the table. She was dressed in a kimono and bare feet with data scrolling down her body; colors varying depending on her mood.

"Lieutenant Jones and Staff Sergeant Banner, you have been cordially invited by the former mayor of Pirth City, Arcadia, to a victory ball held in his honor. Do you accept?" Naomi's voice, while having a slight accent, was perfectly understood as she traced her toes on the table.

"Do we have a choice?" I asked.

"Not really, but I thought it would be nicer if I asked first. The details have been sent to your hotel rooms, please dress accordingly." Naomi said before smiling and winking out.

"Dress accordingly? Shit.

Xxxxxx

Naomi had managed to procure individual rooms for everyone and since we had a ball to go to, we all spent the entire time getting dressed and ready to go. I took the longest, even after Brooke, since I had to sew on my new chevrons onto my dress blues. Believe it or not, but it was the first time since Basic training that I had worn the uniform and I could still manage to look good in it.

The navy-blue jacket was adorned with my marksmanship medals, the colorful campaign ribbons and the lone Purple Heart I had received while on my return tour to Harvest. I ran a finger over the new chevrons that adorned my sleeve as I stood in the lobby with the rest of the squad. Brooke had to run back to her room and I had missed her when I came down so we opted to take a cab and save her one for herself.

The sprawling city of

Manassas flew by quicker than I expected and there were many police checkpoints along the way. The driver explained that the ball had attracted much attention and the few Innie cells that remained had threatened the dignitaries conducting the ball; thus the police were taking every precaution.

So was I, I thought as I patted my M6D secured in a shoulder holster.

We paid the cab driver and made our way up the steps into the building hosting the ball, the Manassas History Museum, had over a dozen officers patrolling the front entrance. They paid us no mind except for a polite nod as they scanned the crowd for any signs of foul play. The doors opened in a flourish and our collective breaths were taken away as we looked around the lobby area.

All over the lobby were bright lights and glittering crystal chandeliers that must have cost a fortune for the museum to own or rent. An entire orchestra played classical music and it wafted from their stand at the back of the room. The dance floor was already occupied by couples waltzing and a few children who were dancing and playing tag.

One such girl, dressed in a purple tutu, came stumbling out of the crowd with a stunning young woman holding her hand. Kaipo shouted and rushed forward; seizing the girl and woman in his massive arms as he laid gentle, loving kisses on them.

Dell and Parker smiled before splitting off to the buffet table and left me alone among a crowd of politicians and undesirables.

"Eric! This is April and my girl, Rebecca. She's three now, man, and look at her." Kaipo grinned as he introduced me to his family.

"Eric, it's so nice to finally meet you; Lareto has been telling me all about you." April was tiny compared to Kaipo and was dressed in a floor-length gown with blue sequins shining. She definitely matched her husband's uniform. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to dance with my man."

April all but dragged Kaipo onto the dance floor and left a smiling Rebecca in my arms. I looked at the little tan girl and smiled back. While she had Kaipo's hazel eyes, Rebecca had taken her mother's beauty; seriously, Kaipo didn't have much to work with anyway.

"Well, kiddo, looks like it's you and me." I joked as I turned around only for my jaw to drop and sweat begin to form on my hands.

"So, are you going to dance with me or not?" Brooke asked as she stood in front of me with a hand cocked on her hip.

She had opted out of wearing her dress blues and instead wore a backless white dress with lace swirls coming up. She twirled in a circle as her long red hair cascaded across her shoulders. Rebecca giggled and clapped as she looked at Brooke, pointing at her and smiling.

"She's pretty, Uncle Ewic." She said as I put her down, unable to take my eyes off of the beauty before me. "I'm going to mommy and daddy."

Damn, that kid was definitely an angel as she ran to the dance floor; her purple tutu shaking furiously as her little legs carried her.

"Shall we dance?" I said, offering my arm. Brooke laughed as she slipped her arm into mine.

"We shall."

That's when all hell broke loose.

**AHHHHH cliffhanger! Sorry about the lack of action, but I think I left PREtty good hints at what would be happening next.**

**Yup, so Eric is now free from Parks and is now part of Recon. Now, first off, this is not them becoming ODSTs. They will operate on their own and just with some different equipment which I will reveal later. Turns out the letters were being held to see if Eric was going to be a team player and hey, who knew AIs we peeping toms?**

**Shout out to rackushun, Ragecandy, and TheAwesomeOne! Thanks for the great review. Hey, CrumpledCandyWrapper, haven't heard from ya, hope you're still liking it!**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed this and will press that lovely review button.**

**P.S. Rackshun, your chocolate chip cookie is in the mail, expect it in about four weeks…freaking FedEx is too slow.**


	7. Costume Jewelry

**March 15, 2531. (Military Calendar)**

**Reach, Manassas**

"Okay, everyone, settle down settle down. It was all for show to welcome our esteemed guests to tonight's victory ball!"

Mayor Krant stood before the whispering crowd as they shuffled to their seats. Behind the podium where Krant stood was the frozen helmet-cam of Charlie Rent, one of the mayor's former guards. In his mind, showing the footage in the middle of a waltz seemed like the best way to kick off the ball, but instead, scared the shit out of every guest and even made my new little lady, Rebecca cry…bastard.

Anyway, after dabbing the sweat off my face with a napkin, I escorted Brooke and the Lareto family to our table near the front of the room. Dell, Parker, and Marx were already seated and scowling at the screen where an elite snarled as 7.62 rounds tore into its shields.

"Now, I'm sure that gave you all a fright, but due to the great skill of the marines of Echo squad, yours truly is standing here today. I would just like to say a few words in regard to the brave men and women of that unit."

Krant's voice died out as I leaned across the table to Kaipo, who had Rebecca bouncing on his knee. "Brother, is this guy weird or what?"

"Yeah, he's a few petals short of a flower." Parker muttered, overhearing me.

"Dude, seriously? Who says stuff like that?" Dell asked, sipping at the wine in his hand.

"Plenty of people do." Parker sniffed, running a hand over his head.

"Name two, ya jackass."

"Whoa, little girl here." Kaipo hissed as he covered his daughter's ears.

Marx giggled softly at the sight before returning to her conversation with April and Brooke. April only rolled her eyes before taking Rebecca from Kaipo whose face fell when his daughter left his arms.

"Anyway, who does that? I almost pulled, dammit. There are women and children here. The sound of plasma flying is not something you need to be hearing on Reach; for damn sure." I cursed, draining my glass of wine in a fit. If I kept up the drinking, maybe I could get away with socking the mayor in the jaw…maybe.

"Forget about it, brother. The man's never been in combat before that and it's probably for a P.R. back on Arcadia. He's trying to garner support for his planet; they're going to need help." Kaipo said, sipping at his own wine. Sighing at the taste, he looked at me again. "I heard he had to go through a lot of red tape to even get the footage so he's making the most of it."

"Still, I don't like it." I muttered as I waved down a waiter and got another glass of wine.

"You don't need to like anything. We're grunts, brother, we go where we're needed and don't complain. Oorah?"

"Oorah." I grinned sheepishly as we turned our attention to the mayor. We had tuned him out and I think he was nearing the end of his speech.

"And in conclusion-

Yup.

"And in conclusion, I would like to be the one to honor these brave marines." Krant pulled a large black box out from under the podium. "Will Echo Squad please come to the stage?"

We all groaned and rose as the room echoed with applause. Jones led the way up the stage as guest after guest patted us on the back and shouted congratulations. At the top of the stage, we lined up and came to attention as Brooke shook hands with Mayor Krant and took her place in the line. Krant gave the black box to an assistant and pulled from it a silver star.

"In keeping with the highest traditions of the UNSC, I am honored to present Echo Squad with the Silver Star for gallantry in action." Krant said as he presented each member of the squad with his and her own medal.

Dell and Parker fist bumped after receiving their medals, but a stone glare from me caused them to return to attention, but couldn't wipe the grin from their faces. You could hear the cheers from April as Kaipo had his medal pinned to his chest and the shouts of 'yay, daddy!' were almost too sweet to bear. When Krant reached me, he pinned the medal and took a step back.

"Thank you for your service, my boy." He said before becoming all grins and clapping along with the crowd who were all standing now.

"Now, a word from their leader, newly promoted First Lieutenant Brooke Jones." Krant clapped again, stepping back and waving Brooke forward.

In that moment, the beautiful woman became an officer without a uniform; making her entire squad proud in an instant.

"Thank you for your support. As marines of the UNSC, it is our job to protect its citizens and we will continue to do so. Please raise your glasses to the UNSC!"

"To the UNSC!" The crowd cheered as they raised their glasses and drank as one. Everyone began to clap as the mayor came back up and shook Brooke's hand. We stood uneasily as the people continued to applaud us, but something caught my eye.

The shifting of white distracted me from everyone else as what looked like the orchestra and some of the waiters began to gather together at the back. I couldn't be sure, but it looked like…shit.

"Hit the deck! I screamed as gunfire tore through the crowd of people. I slammed Brooke to the ground as she pulled Krant down with her. Kaipo roared and leapt off the stage and rushed to his family; flipping their table over and using it for cover. Rebecca screamed as bullets whizzed around and drowned out the screams of the dying.

Pulling my M6D, I sighted in on a waiter blasting away with an old MA3 assault rifle; the man showed no remorse as he cut down three innocent people. Grimacing, I squeezed the trigger and watched as the 12.7mm round smashed into his chest; dark-red blood blossoming from his chest and ruining his white tuxedo.

"Get…get Krant out of here!" I shouted before stealing another glance at the corpse of the Innie. "Parker, go with her."

Brooke nodded quickly as she pulled Krant with her backstage; bullets chipping up the wood floor as they ran. The Innies began to fan out and select individual targets as they continued the slaughter.

Rising up, I fired half a magazine before rushing forward and jumping from the stage; Dell coming up behind me. Upturning another table, I shed my jacket and scanned the room for Kaipo and his family.

Luckily, a half-dozen police officers burst through the doors and took all the attention from me. The Innies found themselves up against fully-armed combatants and five were immediately cut down; their blood soaking the floor beneath them. Adding my pistol to the fray, I fired and moved and fired again; managing to down another Innie and winging another. Dell trailed behind me and snatched an assault rifle from a riddled man choking on his own blood.

With the police, now minus two, on one side, we began to catch the Innies in a crossfire. There were a dozen left and I only had half a magazine left when they decided to bulrush the police. One Innie threw himself into the middle of the officer's position before detonating a hidden bomb; blood, guts, and bits of metal rained down on me as Dell and I held position.

In the bulrush another Innie was taken down, but now the Innies turned back to us; tossing something at us. I barely had time to turn and curse everything when the flash bangs went off. Shit, shit, shit.

I scrambled backwards and in my near-blindness, I saw that three of the Innies caught fire from Dell who had recovered quickly, but then I heard the worst sound a soldier ever could. The sound of a bolt locking open; empty. I squeezed the trigger one last time and cursed when the round went left and only wounded the Innie I was aiming for.

When my eyes finally cleared, I realized that the Innies had surrounded Dell and I. Dropping my pistol, I folded my hands behind my head; motioning for Dell to do the same.

"Well, well, looks like the heroes are all out of ammo, eh heroes?" One of the Innies sneered, a dark brown mustache twitching as he spoke; his shotgun barrel setting right between my eyes. "Come on, let's see those shiny medals."

Mustache slammed the butt of his shotgun into my stomach; driving the air out and sending me to a knee. The other Innies laughed at the sight and one backhanded Dell across the fact, sending the marine sputtering to the ground.

"Hit…me again…and you'll be sorry." I wheezed loudly, coughing a little blood up. Tasty.

Laughing loudly, Mustache slapped me in the back of the head before circling Dell and I as two of the Innies ran to the front doors of the room; barring it shut. The remaining Innies continued to mull around, picking at the dead bodies and shooting any that moved.

I scanned the bodies one, twice, and again for anyone that I may have known. I know that Brooke got the mayor and Parker was with them. I couldn't see Kaipo or his family which was good since I know the big man wouldn't let a single hair on his girl's head be harmed.

"Hey man, the cops are doing something outside." One of the Innie warmed from a window; shedding away from the window as a spotlight shined through.

"Don't matter; we knew what we were getting into." Mustache said arrogantly, setting his shotgun across his shoulders. It was an older model of the M90 and he handled it like a soldier, not a rebel. "Keep that damn window closed, Klaus."

"So…who the hell are you?" Dell spat out, receiving a slap to the head for his curiosity.

"None of your business, fascist." The slapper said as he set the barrel of his 'confetti maker' on Dell's head.

"Fascist? Now, I take that offensive-Ah, dammit okay, okay!" Dell rubbed at the back of his head from a punch to his head this time. Spitting out blood, he grinned again. "I just wanted to get to know you."

"Oh and why's that?" Slapper asked, raising up his rifle as he spoke.

"So I know what to put on your gravestone, you Innie fuck." Dell slammed his elbow into the Innie's ribs and punched him in the throat; making a harsh choking sound as he struggled to breathe. Using the distraction, I slammed an elbow into Mustache's gut before ripping the shotgun from his grasp; reversing it and planting the barrel directly on his chest.

"Told ya." I said before discharging the M90. Blood and guts splattered my face and clothes as the blast tore into Mustache and sent him flying across the room. Dell threw Slapper to the ground and raised up his foot; bringing it down with a violent shout. I winced at the crunching sound as he brought it down on the man's face. Curb stomps are not as sweet as they seem.

Raising up my shotgun, I knew the distance was too far to hit the other Innies that were spread out, but I would rather die with a weapon in my hands than on my knees. The Innies all turned at the same moment; their rifles gleaming in the light of the chandelier as I prepared for death.

That's when it happened.

It wasn't a flash of an explosion or a huge tank bowling down the wall of the museum. No, a series of silent coughs and the splatter of blood followed by the thuds of bodies hitting the floor.

"Shit…that works." I said, looking up to see four figures rappelling from the rafters of the ceiling. I hadn't even noticed the green armored men in the confusion and their skills showed as they deftly unharnessed themselves before sweeping the room.

"Private, thanks for the distraction. Helped get you two out of our line of fire." One of the men said and damn…they were huge.

Now, I had always thought Kaipo was a big man, but this guy made Kaipo seem like he hadn't worked out a day in his life. All of them stood over seven feet tall easily as I looked up into the gold visors of their helmets. Their armor was an odd shade olive green and scars crisscrossed the surface; covering practically every part of the armor.

"Yeah, well I excel at being annoying so no big deal." Dell said as he tossed the confetti maker down; wiping his hands on his pants.

"It worked. Sergeant, good work. We've been after that cell for the past three months." One of the armored men came over; handing a datapad to the leader who nodded before handing it back. "Alright, Kelly."

"Who are you?" I asked as the front doors burst open and medical teams escorted by police came rushing in.

"Master Chief-117." The Chief's voice was deep and mechanized, but the fluid motions meant he was human…right? He had to be.

The Master Chief motioned for his team to follow; passing a stunned Brooke and Parker who just stopped and stared at the massive figures passing them.

"Holy shit, you boys sure are lucky." Parker said wrapping Dell in a bear hug and shouting loudly. "Damn, I missed a party."

Brooke came up to me and took my shaking hands in her own. The adrenaline that had kept me sharp and strong began to ebb away and now the cold realization set in. It was the first time I had ever killed another human being…and I never want to do it again.

"Hey, you going to be okay?" Brooke asked as she stepped back; letting go of my hand. I already missed the warmth of it.

I didn't reply. I only blocked out the shouts of the medical teams and the cries of the wounded. I didn't notice the way everyone was looking at me or the shout of joy when Kaipo came running in. All I did was watch the lumbering figures of the green soldiers as they melted into the crowd of people rushing to get into the building.

_117. I think I'm going to see him again._

**You asked for it and I gave it to ya! The Spartans have left the building! Well, Eric doesn't know that yet, but oh well. So the Innie's got some teeth and despite the Covenant trying to kill ALL humans, they want to help out on their own. Bastards.**

**Well, how is Eric going to react to his first human killing? Will he go crazy? Will he go on a rampage? Will he eat a chocolate chip cookie? I don't know, I haven't gotten that far, give me a review and I'll think of something.**

**Shout out to the AwesOme One, Firestorm563, and skulking. Thanks for the great review and I hope to be getting another from y'all soon. So come on, hit the review button…you know ya want to.**


	8. Keeps on Going

**June 27, 2532. (Military Calendar)**

**Sansar, Outer Colonies**

It had been another year in the UNSC and the war wasn't getting any better. It can't last forever right? Yeah, that's what we all thought.

Now we were back in the Outer Colonies in some backwater planet being pummeled by the Covenant over and over. Well, now would be a good time to get my head in the game.

"INCOMING!"

I hit the dirt, more like mud, and burrowed deep as a plasma bombardment slammed into the ground; turning a Warthog into glass and the crew into a human barbeque. The rains haven't let up for a week and now we had to slosh through the mud to our emplacements and barricades. For two weeks the Covies have thrown everything they had at us to break through to the evacuation point and for two weeks I've been knee-deep in mud, blood, and shit I don't wanna know about.

I've seen enough freckled-faced marines get impaled by zealots to last a lifetime. It never ends; half the time I'm lucky to get a few hours of sleep otherwise its stims, stims, and more stims.

"Parker, get Jun's gun up and running!" I ordered as I sprinted forward. It was times like this that I envied Kaipo and his strength; running in full armor and mud sucking at your boots isn't as easy as it sounds.

Sliding forward, I slipped into the trench that made up the front lines of Sansar. The southern hemisphere had been glassed in the initial attack and now the northern hemisphere was next if our fleet didn't hold.

Bolts of plasma and needle shards exploded all around as I made my way through the trench to the forward command post. Slapping the guard on the shoulder, I ducked inside and found Kaipo sitting on an ammo crate and Brooke peering over a holo-map with a black-armored man; a Spook by the look of him.

Kaipo was nursing a flesh wound from a plasma knife received yesterday. A fat grunt had tried to skewer the big guy, but tripped over his own feet. Sad thing is that Kaipo still got cut by the stupid Covie. Rotten luck.

"Lt. Covies got Wraiths coming up on the perimeter." I said as I pulled my helmet off and running my fingers through my shaggy, wet hair. I'd need a haircut if I made it off the planet.

"Already got Scorpions taking care of them, staff sergeant." Brooke replied quickly, pointing at a place on the map as she spoke to the Spook.

"What's going on?" I asked Kaipo, sitting down and grabbing a ration bar from a passing corpsman who was handing a few out.

"Spook came in bout an hour ago with some mission for the team, but Jones aint having it. The Covies are making another push and we're needed on the line." Kaipo replied.

"I could tell you the Covies are pushing, dammit. Jun just got his face burned off by a sniper and another Warthog blew too." I swallowed the stale bar before pulling a pack of cigarettes out.

"Thought Jones hated that stuff?" Kaipo muttered as he undid his bandage.

"I need a smoke man. Besides she's all caught up with her own shit." I sighed as I sucked in the nicotine filled smoke. Brooke may hate it, but I don't know if I could give it up as much as she begged, pleaded, and ordered. Ha, that had been a funny date.

"You two still are having problems?" Kaipo asked, hissing as he rubbed biofoam onto the wound.

"If only it was problems. She's changed since Reach, bro. She true blue UNSC now." I replied; smoke trickling out of my nostrils. "I could care less if she sees me smoking now."

"Well, you better get rid of that cuz here she comes."

Cursing softly, I stamped the butt out on my shoulder guard before rising to meet Brooke. Kaipo snickered behind me and I softly kicked back at his shin.

"We've got a mission."

"Shit." Kaipo threw his hands up before standing as well.

"Relax, Kaipo, you'll love it." Brooke crossed her arms before speaking. "ONI has given us some valuable intel on a target behind the Covie lines. A team of three will be dropped off a few miles back and take out the commanding elite in this area; this will cause enough chaos that we can rescue civilians trapped behind enemy lines."

"Ma'am, is the elite Zealot class?" I asked, pulling another cigarette out and lighting it.

"Field Master class, our spy drones have him exactly six miles past no-man's land in the ruins of some village. We're never going to get a better shot at this." The Spook stepped forward, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Who're you?" I asked; smoke trickling out of my nostrils.

"Commander Marcus Parks. I am in charge of the reports coming and going from the planet and morale needs a boost." The commander spoke with a posh English accent; a bushy mustache helping to make him look like an old gentleman, but he was a Spook, so that threw that theory out the window.

"Parks? Any relation to a Sophia Parks; blonde, bout yea big?" I raised my hand, estimating the height of my former ONI handler.

"My wife, but-

"Ha, so spooks do have feelings…ya learn something every day." I laughed harshly; grinning when Brooke fumed and turned red with anger. "Tell me, who wears the pants in the relationship

I don't know why, but whenever she got angry I couldn't help but laugh. She was like a little kid when she got mad…yet, she was a little kid with the authority to make my life hell.

"Staff Sergeant, you will remember your respect when addressing a superior officer." Brooke snapped. "Commander Parks has selected you, Kaipo, and Dell for the mission. You should be grateful."

"No, lieutenant, I am not grateful." I stood up, anger and exhaustion finally taking over. "The line needs every marine available and I'm not going to leave it until we get reinforcements. You should know that instead of trying to further your own career; that's not what a leader does."

"Stand down, staff sergeant! You have been given a mission and unless you wish to spend the remainder of your service in the brig; you will follow my orders." Brooke snapped, pushing past Parks and standing in front of me. "Do you get me?"

"Yes ma'am, I get you." I turned away from her, tossing the half-smoked cigarette to the ground. "Kaipo, grab your gear and meet me at the Pelican; I'll grab Dell."

I turned to leave, pulling my helmet over my soaked head when I heard Brooke's voice.

"You're not dismissed, staff sergeant." She huffed.

Turning around, I spat out the stub of my smoke before stepping out into the rain. Looking up, I could see the occasional blob of superheated plasma rocket over the trenches and land somewhere in the compound.

"Eric…Hey, Eric!"

I kept walking through the rain as Marx came running up to me. Her brown hair soaked underneath her patrol cap and she grinned despite the rain coming down her face. Her helmet dangled from her hip as she walked beside me.

"Bucket is meant for your head, Marx, not your hip." I muttered as we walked down the trench; passing marines and army personnel as they carried crates of ammunition and performed their duties. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

"Got a letter from my parents; they've moved to Earth and settling down in North America. My dad got transferred from Luna and now they're the safest they can be. Why wouldn't I be in a good mood?" Marx almost had a skip in her step as we crouched by an artillery emplacement.

A crewmember waved us through as they began shelling some target in the distance. Despite my hearing protection, the big gun still left a ringing in my ears.

"Good for them. Earth can't be hit." I couldn't help but think of my parents on Mars. My dad and his work with architecture and my mom…her cancer isn't getting any better.

"Mars is going to be fine, Eric. The Covies can't find Earth or Mars."

"Well, they've found enough of humanity that we're now endangered." I snapped as we ran across the open ground; mud once again sticking to my boots.

Weaving in and out of sandbagged barricades and foxholes; we made our way into an armored shelter where the Pelicans were stored. From what I could see, Lieutenant Towers was assigned to us for the mission as the Pelican currently had Dell and Kaipo standing beside it.

"Kaipo, we ready?" I shouted across the hanger; going to join them only to be jerked back by the collar of my armor.

"Whatever the hell you're going through you need to get it figured out. You get your head in the game…come on, I know you and this isn't you." Marx said as she tapped my chestpiece with her finger.

"I don't know what you think, but I'm fine." I muttered before turning away.

"No, you're not dammit! I've been with you since you got out of the brig and I know when you're messed up. Now tell me, please." She grasped my armor and tightened the straps holding my vest and armored plates.

"I…Its just-

"Staff Sergeant Banner!"

"Oh, shit." Marx whispered as Brooke…no, Jones, came walking up flanked by a pair of marines bearing submachine guns. She backed away and went to stand with Dell and Kaipo; who draped a massive hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, Lieutenant Jones?" I said as I came to attention.

"Staff Sergeant Banner, you have been highly disrespectful to Commander Parks and myself. The UNSC does not stand for insubordination in any way. What do you have to say for yourself?" Jones sounded like she was reading right out of the book.

"These men here to take me away?" I said as I dropped out of attention; crossing my arms.

The two marines shifted as I spoke; their eyes looking back and forth from one another. Jones cleared her throat before speaking again.

"As much as Commander Parks wanted to throw you into the brig, we need you on the line and this mission. Know this, you will not have me protecting you anymore, I've risked enough for you. My career is on the line because of this." Jones said as stepped forward; pulling me aside. "Dammit, Eric. ONI doesn't stand for shit like this."

"And what do you stand for, lieutenant? I thought we had something or has the last year been nothing but little whispers in the dark?"

"Watch what you say, dammit, you want that to get out?" Jones hissed, glancing around.

"Oh, so now you're ashamed of being with me?" I whispered harshly. "You sure have changed since Reach."

"You're bringing that up again?" Jones muttered, tossing her hands up in the air. "You know what, if that's how you're acting than I'm done. Staff Sergeant, you have a job to do; get out of my face."

"Aye, aye, ma'am."

I brushed past her, my shoulder bumping into her as I boarded the Pelican; Dell and Kaipo silent as I took my seat near the cockpit. Marx glanced at me and then Jones before boarding as well. Taking a seat next to me, she stared straight into my eyes as the Pelican shuddered as it lifted off.

"You're not supposed to come with us, Marx." I said, cradling my helmet in my hands.

"What happened on Reach?"

Xxxxxx

**Reach, Manassas-Two Days after Insurgent Attack. **

I shouted as I woke from the dream; cold sweat dripping down my back as my chest heaved. I dreamed of the attack on the museum again and how I had killed another human being. My hands shook as I wiped sweat from my face and turned to set my feet on the floor of the hotel room.

"Mmm, what's wrong?" Jones asked as she sat up; clutching the sheet to hide her nakedness. "Dream?"

Nodding, I walked to the bathroom and dunked my head under the sink; the cold water refreshing me as it ran over my scalp. Noticing movement, I stood up as Jones came behind me; wrapping her arms around my chest and burying her face into my shoulder.

"What happened, Eric?"

"The Insurgents attacking, me shooting them, and then I can't wash their blood off my hands." I sighed, turning off the water and turning to face her wrapping my arms around her. "It's just a dream, but it seems as real as when it happened. I killed humans, Brooke…why aren't they helping us?"

"They're Innies, Eric. They think they have the right to secede from the UNSC when they don't. Don't worry about them and come back to bed." She smiled sweetly.

"That's not it, Brooke. Why can't we just let them; so what if they want to leave the UNSC; we can just keep political ties with them. No harm done and we can focus on the Covenant." I leaned against the sink; crossing my arms. "The UNSC try to controls everything and you know it. Why do you think they want to secede…I would too if I was them."

"What are you saying? You believe in Insurgency?" Jones whispered as she took a step back.

Groaning, I walked past her and pulled on a pair of briefs and shorts. Jones pulled the sheet off the bed and wrapped herself in it as she watched me dress.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to clear my head, I can't ignore the fact that I killed humans." I replied as I pulled a sleeveless shirt over my head.

"Dammit, Eric, how can I say this bluntly? They are Innies, they deserved what they got! You don't see Kaipo crying about putting them down."

"Don't say that again! They were people with families! With lives and I killed them!" I shouted, pointing a finger at Jones. "They aren't rapid animals to be put down. I joined the UNSC to fight the Covenant and PROTECT humanity. I believe in serving the people, not killing them. What do you believe, Brooke?"

"I believe in the rules and standards the UNSC are based upon. Not the shit that the Innies spout out. The UNSC is the best thing that has ever happened to humanity and they need to realize that. If we have to put them down, then a few will be put down." Jones shouted as she threw the sheet down and began getting dressed. "I won't repeat any of this…this discussion to anyone as long as you never speak of the Innies again. They deserved a bullet the instant they broke away from the UNSC."

I stared at Jones with new eyes. "You would make a great Spook, you know? Whatever you say, they are people."

Having enough, I threw open the door; leaving a dent in the wall where it slammed, and walked out. As I walked down the carpeted hallway, I thought that maybe it would get better over time; that I would forget. My father had forgotten his service so maybe I would too.

One could hope, right?

Xxxxx

**Present.**

"So, that's where we are now. Jones just cut me loose and I feel like a weight is off my chest. Damn girl, how could she justify killing people even if their beliefs are different?" I shook my head as I pulled a cigarette out and lit it.

Marx stared at me before pulling the cigarette out of my mouth and sticking it in hers. My mouth hung open as she sucked at the cancer-stick and I laughed as I lit another.

"I didn't even know this was going on. I mean, I knew you two were arguing, but never thought you regretted killing the Insurgents so much." Marx said as she leaned against the bulkhead.

"Yeah, do you?" I asked.

Turning to face me, Marx only shook her head. Before I could ask how she didn't, she spoke.

"I didn't have a sidearm with me when it happened and I helped Kaipo get his family out. I thought you were behind us and when you weren't we tried to go back. Cops wouldn't let us. I never killed a human before and I hope I won't." Marx said as she looked out the Pelican's open bay. "I may not like the Insurgents way of acting, but freedom is something that everyone should have. I agree that the UNSC should remember that."

We had flown for about fifteen minutes now; high in the altitude as Towers searched for a clear drop zone. Luckily, the bad weather masked us from the Covie anti-air so we hadn't been shot out of the air yet. I had told her to hover when she found the landing zone and that we would HALO jump when an area was found. Kaipo and Dell had already pulled on their drop helmets which shrouded their faces from view, but I think Dell had fallen asleep.

"Well, at least that's something we agree on. I thought you didn't smoke?" I asked as I threw my butt out the bay and watched it be swept up by the wind.

"I don't always, but-

"STAFF SERGEANT!" Towers yelled from the cockpit. "Get in here!"

Rushing forward, I found myself deafened by shouting and explosions. "What is this?"

"Distress signal from the front lines; Covies just brought in reinforcements and pounded the lines. Lieutenant Jones just called for us back. Get strapped in, I'm hitting the afterburners; think you can make the jump onto the base?"

"We're Recon, we can take it." I said as I came back into the bay. Kaipo and Dell stared at me from behind their masked helmets. "Get strapped in; lines are being overrun."

"Damn, any word from the Fleet?" Dell asked as he tightened the straps on his parachute and took his seat.

"Not yet, I'm sure they're plenty busy upstairs. Kaipo, when we jump, take the high ground. Dell and Marx get to the medical trench and make sure the wounded get out." I ordered as we took our seats and prepared for a hot drop.

I had just sat when Towers kicked on the afterburners and sent the Pelican shooting forward as fast as the dropship could stand. I gritted my teeth as the gee forces pulled at my body and I could hear Dell cheering wildly; he always liked going fast. Kaipo only swore over and over as he clutched at the ring hanging with his dog tags.

I looked over at Marx just as she looked at me. I couldn't see past the visor, but I knew she was staring at me.

"While we're getting the wounded, what are you going to do?" She asked, switching over to a private channel.

"Going to go save my ex."

**Wow, been awhile since I updated. Sorry bout all that, my computer decided to crap out on me and I had to find another way to write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and hope to hear from some of y'all in a review…come on, please. Don't make me beg, press the button. **


	9. Landfall

**June 27, 2532. (Military Calendar)**

**Sansar, Outer Colonies**

The wind whipped at my armor as I stood at the edge of the drop bay overlooking the trenches of the UNSC F.O.B. From what we could see from the Pelican, the skirmish lines were being overrun by waves of grunts and only the constant fire from the machine gun emplacements kept the main line from being overrun. One by one, the guns would run dry…only a matter of time.

"Staff, I'm not doing so good." Dell muttered as he stared over the edge of the bay. "Any chance you could give me a push?"

"Weren't you were just hollering how much fun you were having a second ago?" Kaipo asked as he came up behind Dell.

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean I like heights…just give me a warning before you-

"Too much talking." Kaipo said as he sent his boot into Dell's rear and sent him out the bay door and into the wind.

Kaipo followed by giving me a sarcastic salute and doing a backflip out followed by Marx crossing herself as she took a step out. I grinned as I looked down at the ground. I had always loved doing daredevil things; the stupider the better. This was one of them; jumping out of a perfectly good Pelican. As I always say…Oorah.

Getting a running start, I sent myself soaring out of the bay and was instantly buffeted by a wind current that sent me spinning like a top. Spreading my limbs out, I managed to center and slow my descent and fell through a massive cloud; soaking my clothes. When I came through it became apparent that a section of the lines had already fallen and, even from this height, I could see the grunts, jackals, and elites filling the trenches. From this height, I could see the energy swords cutting through marines and army troopers.

Streaks of plasma rocketed up towards me as I fell; threatening to fry me alive. With a shout, I threw my body to the side and felt blisters raise up on my forearms as the plasmas passed by. My left sleeve even caught fire, but luckily extinguished quickly; leaving my arm bare to the harsh wind.

"All UNSC ships respond to this message. F.O.B. is in danger of being overrun; requesting immediate support." I said over the FLEETCOM.

Continuing down, I barely heard the parachute warning as it was readied to be deployed. Putting my hand over the deploy plate; I waited a bit longer so I wouldn't be a target as long. In the corner of my visor, I watched the distance meter count down faster than I could blink and, right before I would be past, I slapped the plate. It was a wrenching and a sudden stop as I floated for a second and then continued falling to the ground.

"Making landfall." Dell called in over the squad radio.

"Same; met up with Dell." Marx said as well. Their positions and vitals appeared in the corner of my visor.

"Found some high ground on the hanger." Kaipo said, already the reports of his rifle echoing over the radio. "Banner, you might want to hurry. Trenches are getting packed here and the marines are falling back."

"Hitting ground in the trench now." I said as I unclipped my harness and fell the last ten feet to the ground; rolling as I hit and slammed into two grunts that came around the corner at the wrong time. Snapping my rifle up, I sent a dozen rounds into the stumbling uglies and grinned at the shouts of the marines behind me.

"Holy shit, literal angel from the sky." A marine muttered as he picked himself up from the ground.

"Fallen angel, brother." I turned to him as a squad of marines brushed past us and entered the fray. "Is the Command bunker safe?"

"Safe enough; got enough guns covering that area than they have on the entire line. That damn Spook pulled almost everyone off the defense to protect himself and that bitch lieutenant. Covies blew a hole near that area and are filling in that side of the trench." The marine cursed as a plasma grenade exploded. "Damn it, I gotta go. Staff sergeant…thanks."

Brushing past me, the marine rallied a few troopers to follow him and I grinned when the familiar sound of assault rifles brought the screams of Covies to my ears. Running the opposite way, I staggered as a bombardment began and caused the entire trench to shake and heat up a dozen degrees due to the superheated plasma. Sweat beaded my brow as my armor's internal systems worked to regulate the temperature. Gotta say, the eggheads in R&D do get some things right.

"This is Staff Sergeant Banner, Recon. Lieutenant Jones, Commander Parks, respond." I shouted in my radio as I slogged through the trench. The smell of burned flesh unable to be fully filtered as it hit my nostrils.

Rushing around the corner I watched as a jackal stuck a plasma cutlass into a poor marine's chest. The woman screamed as the jackal stabbed her again and sprayed her blood across the trench. Opening up, I blew the jackal's head apart and caught the woman before she fell to the ground.

"Fucker…jumped me." She coughed blood onto my visor and only the oxygen mask kept the blood from my face. Her hands gripped my armor tightly before slackening and her eyes rolled back into her head. Gently laying her on the ground, I rushed forward, killing every Covie that crossed my path. Reaching up, I pulled my mask from my face and tossed it and the oxygen tank to the ground. I couldn't stand the taste of filtered air for long.

"Staff Sergeant Banner, this is Spartan-043, commander of Green Team." A mechanized voice came over the radio as I felt three minor thuds as something hit dirt. "We have landed near your position. Respond."

"Spartans?" I asked as I rushed up a ramp and onto the open ground. A nav point appeared and I followed it to see three drop pods sunk in the mud. What stood in front of them was something out of science fiction.

Their armor was massive and deep green and they towered over the marines who surrounded them. Their assault rifles barked as grunts stumbled and fell and I watched in awe as one sidestepped an elite and speared it with its own energy sword. After eliminating the Covies in the immediate area, the lead…Spartan came forward.

"Enough staring, staff sergeant. Lead the way to the Command bunker." The Spartan said.

Nodding my head, I lead the way under a collapsed support beam and found a trail of dead marines along the trench. Hearing the screech of metal, I turned to find one of the Spartans had one-hand the beam and throw it aside.

"In my way." This one's voice was feminine, but honestly, one could not tell. Not to be rude to the extremely strong and heavily armored person in front of me.

"Command bunker is this way, uh…what do I call you?" I asked, bending over and relieving a corpse of his M90 shotgun and his ammo bandolier.

"Will is good. Now if you would step behind us, we can get this done."

I snorted as the Spartans stepped in front of me and brought their rifles to bear. Rolling my eyes, I followed behind their massive footsteps.

"Vinh, keep the jarhead safe. Isaac, take the right side." The Spartan, Will, ordered as they slowly began to jog forward.

Despite them taking the lead, I still managed to get some action as I blasted a jackal across the trench with an eight gauge slug. A swarm of grunts came scrambling over the trench and I slammed the butt of my shotgun into the face of one and gagged as methane sprayed into my face; causing me to stumble backwards and fire blindly into the grunt. Opening my eyes, I found myself splattered in the blue, glowing blood of the grunt as it lay with its stomach blown open.

"Staff sergeant, keep up." Vinh said as she inclined her head forward.

The two other Spartans leaned against the trench wall as I knelt in front of them and peered around the corner. Five elites surrounded by a group of grunts and jackals pounded on the barricade hastily thrown up by whoever was inside the bunker. Sporadic gunfire occasionally erupted from inside which meant someone must still be alive.

"Kaipo, you still with me?" I said, glancing around the corner again. The grunts had begun to pull at the debris, but the gunfire kept the progress slow.

"I got you, Staff. Whoever the big green dudes with you?" Kaipo said over the radio.

"Call themselves Spartans. Bit cocky, but damn, they sure know how to make an entrance. Kaipo, any chance you could top off a couple elites before we jump them?" I asked as I primed a grenade; nodding to the Spartans as they readied themselves.

"Kaipo, three…two…one…fire." I actually flinched at the report of Kaipo's rifle as echoed across the battlefield. After the first two shots, I tossed my grenade and ducked down as it exploded; sending shrapnel into the backs of the unknowing Covies. Blood and gore splashed all across the trench as most of the unshielded Covies were caught in the blast and butchered like cattle.

Rushing forward with the Spartans, I sent a screaming jackal to the afterlife with a single blast of my shotgun and sent a grunt sprawling with a boot to its ass. Circling around, I received a blow to the chest from another squawking jackal using its hand-held shield as a hammer. The shield sparked red as I fell to the mud and struggled to rise up as it planted a hoof on my chest. Raising its plasma pistol, the jackal squawked in my face again, spittle flying on my face as the pistol charged and prepared to fire.

Closing my eyes, I waited for the end when the plasma dissipated to the right of my head; leaving a streak along the top of my helmet. Looking up, I found that the jackal was now missing its head; blood sprouting out like a fountain.

"Yeah, I got you, brother." Kaipo's voice came over the radio; music to my ears.

Pulling myself up, I racked another shell into the chamber of the M90 and joined the Spartans in blasting the Covies as they began to recover from the blast. I've got to say, firing a shotgun at point-blank range is one way to redecorate an area. The Spartans were doing their part as well; even to the point of one of them, Will I think it was, began grappling with an elite.

I watched mystified at the speed of the Spartan as he ripped the elite's plasma rifle from its hand before slamming an elbow into the mandibles of the split-jaw. The elite roared as it staggered back and flicked its wrist as an energy sword appeared in its claw. Undaunted, the Spartan sprung off his back leg and slid underneath the horizontal swing; delivering a powerful punch to its knee which shattered the joint. Roaring again, this time in pain, the elite only had a second to left before the Spartan gripped the elite's neck in his massive hands and twisted sharply.

Dropping the elite in the mud, the Spartan snatched up a fallen assault rifle and began firing at another elite, this one wearing solid black armor. Running forward, I joined the Spartan and sent a slug into the chest of the elite; its shields sparking before failing…right when Will and I both ran out of ammo.

"Shit." I muttered as the elite's jaw split open and it charged forward; casting its plasma rifle aside. Reversing my grip on the shotgun, I swung wildly and struck the elite in the chest only for it to bounce back uselessly.

"Shit…" I muttered before the elite backhanded me across the face; sending me to my knee before it grabbed me by the front of my armor.

Lifting me up, the elite used me to shield itself from the Spartan. I kicked uselessly as it cocked its head to the side as if it was examining the kicking human as some kind of specimen. Its claw reached up to rip my helmet from my face; giving me the distraction to reach my combat knife. My movement however caught its eye and it roared before throwing me back into the Spartan.

"Shhhiiiitttttt!"

I slammed into Will as basically caught me in his arms, but we both tumbled to the ground. Isaac moved forward firing an M7, but the rounds simply bounced off the elite's recharged shields.

"Isaac, get back!" Will ordered as the elite drew an energy blade; sending a flurry of slashes that cut through the Spartan's M7 and if it weren't for his speed, the blade would have sliced through him as well.

"Kaipo, now!" I shouted as I rushed forward again; the combat knife flashing in my hand.

Kaipo didn't respond, but a 14.5mm round slammed into the shoulder plating of the elite; knocking its shields out and piercing the armor. Purple blood splattered the ground as the force of the round caused the elite to turn into my path.

Roaring as I slammed into it, I brought the blade down hard on the elite's armor. The first time the blade glanced off the armor plating, but the second struck flesh as I found the notch between its armor. Screaming in pain, the elite raked its claw across my scalp; bringing screams from myself. I could feel the hot blood trailing down my neck, but I held onto my knife, bringing it up one last time; bits of stringy flesh hanging from its serrated edge.

"FUCK…YOU!" I yelled as I slashed the elite's exposed throat just as the Elite sent its own fist straight into my face.

Pain flashed across my senses and my vision blurred wildly as I stumbled back and fell to the ground. The elite gurgled violently before crumpling to the mud beside me. The sounds of battles and the shouts of marines as they swarmed the remaining Covies became drowned out. The last thing I remembered was a mane of wild, brown hair flooding my vision before it all went black.

Maybe this time…I'll stay asleep.

**Well, another action packed chapter which I hoped y'all enjoyed. Seems like Banner is having relationship problems in these chapters and hey, more Spartans. No, not Chief, but my own favorite Spartans. Seriously, Will-043 is the only Spartan to take down a Hunter in hand-to-hand combat.**

**Okay, so I hope to be getting some reviews/criticism on these last two chapters cuz I need some support people…come on, late Christmas present!**


	10. Home Sweet Home?

**Unknown Date (Military Calendar)**

**Unknown Location**

Normally I dreamed of the war and how my squad died. Recently, I began to dream of the Insurgent attack and the first human life I took. Weird thing is…it wasn't either of those.

This time I was back on Mars and riding along the outskirts of my parent's ranch outside of New Paris. The mare rode well as we crossed over the expanse of the ranch. Holding the reins in one hand, I waved to my parents as they sat on the porch of the house; sipping on sweet tea. Pointing past me, I turned in the saddle and found my brother, Ian, riding his gelding as fast as he could with my older brother Timothy trailing right behind him.

In the corner of my mind, I knew that this was a memory. This was the day before Tim shipped off to Basic Training…before everything changed. Turns out that the Covenant would attack at about the same time Tim graduated from Advanced Infantry Training and he was the first off the Pelican he was so excited. He lasted about a week on Harvest…against an enemy that we didn't understand; against an enemy so brutal that we had to have a closed casket at his funeral.

"Eric, you ugly son of a gun; where you been?" Tim asked as he reined up next to me; his own gelding huffing madly.

"Dad had me check the herd before I came in." I replied as I fixed the cap on my head. "You lost again? Thought Ian was giving you a break this time?"

"Hell no, if he's going to be a jarhead, he's goin have to get used to hard stuff. I'm helping him." Ian laughed as he fanned his face with his cowboy hat.

The heat on Mars was always terrible around this time of the year; I remembered that much. Damn, it had been too long since I had been back home…since I had ridden or had my mom's sweet tea. God, the Covenant messed up so many things; taken so many things.

"Yeah, yeah, just wait till you're in Basic. Your cocky ass will be in the grinder as much as mine will." Tim muttered; shoving Ian as they both began wrestling on their saddles. "So, Eric, you decide yet?"

"Yeah, New Paris Tech said that they'd give me a full-ride scholarship playing gravball. I can't give up my education to follow you two just yet." I said, rubbing my face slowly as I spoke. "I got a chance to go professional."

"Ah, come on. You know the Corps is going to be better than college; the Innies are going to run scared when we hit the dirt." Ian said as he began leading his horse back to the house.

Our parents in the distance got up and went inside; I almost shouted to them to come back; to get their horses, but I knew they wouldn't. I remembered that my mom went to bed early that night and went to the doctor the next day. I remember Tim leaving with a huge grin on his face; excited to serve. I just wish I could stop it all.

"Yeah, we three brothers; always together. Innies' are going to tremble in their boots!"

That's when I woke up.

I realized I was lying on my back in the most uncomfortable bed I have ever been in and the white lights on the ceiling stung my eyes. There was a distinct beeping which had to be my vitals and looking down I saw that I was clothed in a flimsy hospital gown. Looking around the room, I saw a few flowers in a vase and a sleeping form on the floor; curled up underneath a blanket.

"Well, this sucks." I groaned, my mouth dry from lack of water. My arm stung as the IV in my arm shifted slightly and I felt the uncomfortable patches on my chest pulling as I sat up.

I had always hated hospitals and did all I could to annoy the nurses; so I pulled my vital monitor patches off and laughed as the monitor began to blare that I had flat lined. What I didn't expect was a mess of brown hair coming out from underneath the blanket and was instantly at my side.

"You're awake!? Dammit, Eric, don't pull shit like this!" Marx hollered as tried to put the patches back on while slamming her fist into the side of the monitor to get it to shut up.

"I'm alright, I'm alright." I said as the nurses came rushing in and began prodding me and pushing Marx out of the way. "Dammit, keep your hands to yourselves ladies. Marx, what happened?"

"You got your ass kicked by an elite, brother."

I grinned as Kaipo, Dell, and Parker came walking in. I noticed that Jones stayed near the door, but her face at least showed she cared I was awake. A bandage covered part of Dell's head and Parker had his arm in a sling. Kaipo seemed fine, but I noticed a slight limp as he walked.

"Well, what's the damage?" I asked, turning to one of the nurses.

"You have two shattered ribs from hitting that Spartan, a concussion from the elite punching you, and two lacerations from its claws. Your ribs have been replaced by Titanium alloy which will make them stronger and the lacerations may scar; we can't be sure yet." One of the nurses said as she turned off the vital monitor and picked up a clipboard. "Also-"

"Seriously, more?" I said in disbelief.

"Yes, you also have a sprained thumb. Uh…keep the…exertions to a minimal." The nurse blushed before walking out; followed by the others.

"Ha, looks like handrieeta is going to be lonely for a few days." Marx joked as she sat at the foot of the bed. "How in the world are you going to cope?"

" . . ." I said through clenched teeth as the room broke into laughter.

"I'm serious!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

**May 11, 2532 (Military Calendar)**

A day later I found myself exercising inside the gym of the UNSC Everest as it traveled through slipspace. Turns out I had been asleep of about two weeks and now I had to make up for lost time. Sansar was a lost cause as it was glassed by the Covies a week after I was evacuated off the planet. Turns out Commander Parks and Lieutenant Jones were commended for their actions of holding the trenches while the wounded and I were evacuated. Figures that I miss everything while I'm asleep…

The gym of the Everest was massive compared to that of the Iron Justice which was in dry dock at Reach for repairs; the reason that Echo had been reassigned to the flagship of Admiral Preston Cole. Holy shit; it just got real.

I glanced in the large mirror that lined the walls of the gym and shook my head at the two claw marks that wrapped around the side of my scalp. They weren't too bad, only about four or five inches long and were an angry red color; etched right above my left ear. I thought they looked pretty sweet and was happy with the fact that I was still alive.

Hopping off the treadmill, I wiped my face with a towel before moving to the dumbbells where Kaipo stood waiting for me.

"So, you feel like taking me on yet?" He said as he lifted hundred pound dumbbells in each hand.

"Bro, I just woke up and even before that I couldn't keep up with you. Stop being mean." I replied as I began curling the weight; my muscles beginning to burn from the third set.

"So, any word on when we get out of slipspace?" I asked before putting the weights back on the rack. "I'm getting tired of recycled air."

"Cole made a ship-wide broadcast a few days before you woke up. We're making a stop by Mars before returning to Reach." Kaipo replied; wiping sweat off his brow. "Lt. said that we'd get a couple of days for some R your parents live on Mars don't they?"

"Yup, still got the ranch outside of New Paris."

"Good, then the squad has a place to stay."

_Kaipo on a horse…that poor horse. And what about Jones?_

Xxxxxxxx

Shifting my duffle bag on my shoulder, I waited in line for the phone at the docks. The Everest had docked in orbit and we had all made our way by Pelican to the surface. We hadn't been able to convince Jones into coming along, but the rest of the squad was looking forward to spending time with my family…if I could ever get ahold of them.

"Staff, you get the phone yet?" Dell called from the bench they had claimed.

Marx sat eating a bag of chips while Kaipo and Parker sipped on soda. I grinned as I watched the dock workers walking around with their ball-caps and Stetsons. I was truly home. Turning back to the phone, I noticed that the guy was still on it; laughing about something. Screw it.

"Screw it, y'all let's go." I said as I made my way over to them. We shouldered our bags and began walking out of the terminal; a crowd of workers and civilians passing between all of us.

"What about calling your parents?" Marx asked, her mouth full of chips.

"Ah, my mom could use a surprise. Come on, let's catch a cab." I said, raising my hand and whistling.

"Oh, yeah, cuz there's nothing like a squad of Recon marines showing up on your front porch." Parker said as he adjusted the front of his cover. He whistled at a few female dock workers as they passed; their jumpsuits accenting their assets perfectly.

"Oi, leave the troops alone." I said, leaning backwards and watching them go.

"Hey, eyes up!" Marx said, her cheeks burning red for some reason. She slapped the back of my head lightly before jumping into the taxi that pulled up. "Get in another."

"Bu-you don't even know where…ah, screw it." I muttered, tossing my hands up and hailing another cab. "Just follow us."

Getting inside, I handed the driver my address and moved over as Dell and Parker squeezed in beside me.

"You boy's marines?" The cab driver asked; turning around to show his scarred face. He was older but the scars still stood out; looked to be from a fire.

"Yes, sir." I said, reaching up to shake his hand.

"I served…oh, bout twenty years; earned this little treat on a backwater colony." The scarred driver said as he began driving; Kaipo's and Marx's cab trailing behind us. "Best damn years of my life; you three have a free ride today. Semper Fi."

"Thank you, sir." Parker said as the cab streamed past car after car; a majority of them were Army trucks filled with troops.

"What's going on? Army grunts moving around?" I asked as another truck full of troopers passed.

"Ha, get this. The governor of the planet is mobilizing the planet's garrison to be shipped out to the front lines. Everyone, infantry, armor, air…hell, even the hospitals are shipping out their more experienced surgeons." The driver said as we took the ramp off; the taxi taking the road out of the city.

"Damn Covies…" I said looking out the window at the parts of Mars that were still barren. It was to remind the colonists of how much we had worked to settle on the planet.

"Got that right, son. So, where you boys been?" The taxi pulled off the main road and began bumping along the dirt road leading to my family's ranch.

"Not at liberty to say. Sir, this is it, we can walk from here." I said, opening the door and stepping out as the taxi came to a stop.

The dirt crunched under my boots as I breathed in the Martian air; never got old…except for the smell of fresh horse shit.

"Thank you again, sir. Have a good day." I said, shaking his hand and slipping a credit chit into his palm.

"Son, I told you-

"I know, but I'm not taking no for an answer. Thanks for the ride."

The taxis pulled away in a cloud of dust as we began our walk down the long driveway to my house. Kaipo whistled at the horses as they passed by in the pasture; my old mare grazing alone as a couple of ponies frolicked nearby.

"Can we go riding while we're here?" Parker asked as we passed another pasture, this time full of cattle. "Moooo!"

"Haha, yeah, but quit that. Sounds like two of them mating." I said as the porch came into view.

Even from this distance I could see my dad sitting in his chair; a glass of tea in his hand. I grinned when I noticed him shifting and then stand. As he began running forward, Kaipo slapped me on the shoulder; jerking his head forward.

"Thanks bud." I tossed my bag at him and began to jog forward. Kaipo fumbled my bag before tossing it to Dell who cursed softly as it knocked his cover off.

Tearing my own off, I crashed into a massive bear hug as my dad lifted me up in the air; his laugh echoing across the pasture.

"Holy shit, dad. Ease up, can't breathe." I laughed as he finally released his hold on my ribs which had begun to ache. "Hi."

"Hi, yourself. Lord, it's good to see you; why didn't you call? I would have come and gotten y'all." My dad said as the rest caught up.

"Ah, you know me. Too lazy to wait for the phone." I said, my hand resting on my dad's shoulder. "How's mom?"

"Good, good. She's actually feeling better today so she made cornbread and tea. Now, who is this bunch?" My dad said with a grin on his face; his teeth shining behind his salt and pepper beard.

"Dad, meet Dell, Parker, Kaipo, and-

"Oh, you must be the lovely Brooke that Eric has told me all about…what?" My dad trailed off as everyone's face paled and looked at Marx who only smiled sweetly.

"No, I'm Sam Marx. Corpsman assigned to this lovely bunch; did you say something about cooking cornbread?" Marx asked.

"Yes I did, little miss. Go right on in, kitchen's straight back; all of ya get on inside." My dad said, waving the group inside.

"Oh, New Paris Tech won the Regional Cup this year. Their gravball team has been doing well." My dad said as we made it up the steps. "Still wish you played for them longer."

I was about to reply with a snide and sarcastic remark when the front door swung open and out stepped a pair of black boots. What was worse was that the boots were attached to a pair of legs which happened to belong to someone I know.

"Hey, big bro."

**Wow, it's been awhile since I updated which is why I apologize for the lateness. School has been crazy. Well, looks like Eric finally made it home and guess who decided to show up? Come on guess, it'll be fun.**

**So, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter and if you did, well then why don't you give me a nice little review, for old time's sake.**


	11. Playing Dirty

**May 11, 2532 (Military Calendar)**

**Banner Ranch, Mars**

I woke early to the sun beginning to peek through the windows of my room. Rising up and glancing around the room, I smiled at the sound of snoring coming from the bed across the room. Kaipo always snored whenever we weren't on the line which is normally hard to fall asleep too due to the fact that it's so loud, but I was so exhausted I just fell asleep as soon as my head hit my pillow.

Getting up, I grabbed my old work boots and jeans from my closet and dressed quietly and slipped outside. My room had always been separated from the rest of the house and I relished the feeling of the cold morning air in my lungs; my breath barely showing. I loved the mornings at home.

"Home sweet home." I read the sign above the back door to the house aloud as I walked in. The smell of coffee wrapping around the corner caught my attention and drew me into the kitchen where I was treated to the sight of Marx trying to reach into a cupboard. Her long bare legs peeked out from under her bathrobe; revealing her shapely thighs…crap, eyes off.

"Need help?" I asked.

"Holy-Ah, you scared me." Marx said as she stood and hastily closed her bathrobe. "Um, yeah where are the coffee cups?"

"Right cupboard, top shelf if I remember right." I said, walking over and fishing two cups out and setting them on the table in the middle of the room. "What're you doing up so early?"

Filling up the cups, Marx handed mine over before raising her own to her lips; sipping gently. "I always wake early, even as a kid too. How's the coffee?"

I drank slowly, loving the feel of the hot liquid burning my throat. "Ah, black just the way it's supposed to be. I didn't know you knew your way around a kitchen."

Marx laughed softly as she hopped up on a counter by the coffee maker. Sipping again, she sighed before leaning back.

"I know a thing or two. What's the plan for the day?" Marx asked.

"Well, I assumed everyone would be asleep still. How about a morning ride; my dad mentioned that he needed me to take a look at the fences before lunch." I asked, hoping for some company.

"Sure, I'll go get dressed."

And with that, Marx hopped off the counter and left the room; her bathrobe trailing behind her. I stayed behind and nursed my coffee when another person walked in; the reason of my exhaustion from yesterday.

"Good morning, big bro."

"Morning, Ian. How'd you sleep?" I asked my little brother as he walked in and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Better with a roof over my head. I've been on too many backwater colonies with nothing but my armor covering me from the bloody rain." Ian said harshly as he added sugar to his coffee.

"Still don't like it black, huh?"

"Nope, still keep packets of sugar on me whenever I have coffee." Ian replied, sipping gently as he tested the heat. "How's the new squad?"

"Good, kept my ass outta the fire more times than I care to remember." I said, setting my coffee down in the sink and wiping my face with my hand. "How about your squad? Where are they?"

"Most have been dead for bout six months; the two are in recovery. Command gave me a few weeks off surprisingly." He muttered softly. "I…I'm sorry for how I've treated you bro; over the years. I let my devotion to the Corps get in the way of my family."

"Got that right."

"Hey, I'm trying to apologize. ONI made it out that you attacked your CO without warning. I never should have listened to them." Ian said, scratching the back of his head. "Look…I'm…sorry."

With that final word, Ian left the kitchen, briefly tapping me on the shoulder before moving on. I was actually dumbfounded by the fact that he apologized. Even as a kid, it was hard to get an apology from him.

Shaking my head, I drained the rest of my coffee and left the kitchen also; making my way outside and to the stables. I took the time to saddle both my horse and Marx's, seeing as she had yet to make it outside.

"Woman taking her time…"I muttered, tightening the straps. My mare neighed loudly; shaking her mane back and forth. "Yeah, you know what I'm talking about."

I turned when I heard the sound of the barn door opening; its hinges squeaking softly as it swung open. I laughed when Marx poked her head in with a brown cowboy hat on her head. Seeing me, she skipped along with her hands behind her back; a wide smile on her face.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" I asked as I finished the straps on my saddle.

"I ran into your mom after trying to find the stables." Marx replied, running her hands over her horse's sides. "You never told us how funny she can be."

"Yeah, she was always good at making someone laugh; I see she gave you a present. I'm surprised, she loved that hat." I said handing the reins to Marx before going to my own.

"It's her's? I'll go give it back." Marx made to leave but I caught her arm quickly; pulling her back. "What?"

"She gave it to you as a gift; she knew what she was doing so relax. Now then, this is your horse. Careful cuz he's young and eager so take it a little easy." I said as I helped Marx up on the saddle.

"I know how to ride, Staff." Marx said with a wink before settling back. "Yah!"

Marx's horse reared before galloping out; her brown hair trailing behind her. I quickly jumped into my saddle and took off after her; clamping a hand on my hat to keep it from flying off. I had a feeling today would be interesting.

Xxxxxxxx

It was. Over the next few hours, we made our way around the entire ranch. I found out that Marx had ridden a few times in her youth and had taken to it. We fixed a few fences that had been knocked about by the cattle, but other than that, the rest of the day we spent just enjoying the peace and quiet.

After racing for a bit, we allowed our horses to rest underneath a grove of oak trees as Marx and I lay resting.

"So, why'd you join the Navy?" I asked Marx, looking up at her from the ground. Marx had climbed up onto a branch and let her limbs dangle.

"Pay for college, believe it or not. I thought that I would just do my time and leave, but I never thought I would stick around." She replied, fiddling with the leaves on the branch; dropping them down on me while giggling.

"Why did you stick around, I mean, you've done your time." I said, brushing the leaves off my shirt and throwing an acorn back at her.

"Well…I guess I just couldn't leave everyone else to fight the Covies by themselves; didn't seem fair. Why'd you join?" Marx asked softly, laying her cheek on her hand.

I contemplated what to tell her. The only person who knows is Kaipo and I made him swear to upmost secrecy. I know that it wasn't really a big deal to most people, but to me, it was the choice that changed my life. Screw it, let's see her reaction.

"My older brother, Timothy, joined up before I did. Both of my brothers actually planned on joining the Corps; follow in our dad's footsteps." I explained. "I had a scholarship to the New Paris University to play gravball and possibly go pro, but…Tim was killed in action on Harvest when I was at the university for a month."

"Holy shit…I'm so sorry, Eric."

There she goes calling me by my first name. Gotta say, it's weird hearing your first name after years of being called by your rank only or just the last name.

"Yeah, well, long story short, I quit the team and enlisted the day I got the news from my parents. Ian tried to get my parents to let him enlist early, but they wouldn't hear anything about it. Haven't looked back since." I finished quickly, reaching into my breast pocket and fishing out a worn photograph.

It was of my brother and I when we met up for the first time after he graduated from basic. He looked so happy in his uniform and I couldn't have been more proud of him. I laughed when I noticed the length of my hair compared to his; I didn't know why I thought long hair looked good on me.

"Not at all?" Marx asked tenderly and with a slight hesitation I noticed.

"Apart from being locked in a prison and then becoming romantically involved with a superior officer; naw, things are great." I laughed harshly as I pulled a cigarette out a lit it. "I wouldn't change anything because it's led me to where I need to be. I loved gravball and college, but I can do it again when the war is over."

"You plan on staying through the whole thing? Damn, well then looks like we'll both see the look on those proud elite's faces when they surrender." Marx boasted proudly as she jumped down from the tree.

She walked over and pulled the cigarette from my lips. Smiling, she took a short drag before replacing it back in my mouth which hung open slightly.

"That's the second time you've done that. Why?" I asked; smoke trickling out my nose as I stood.

"Why do you think I have an alternative motive?" She said playfully as she began stepping backwards.

"Because I know you and-dammit, wait up!"

I rushed after Marx as she spun away and jumped back onto her horse and sped away. I tripped over a root before making it to my mare and racing after her; the thrill of a race quickening my heartbeat.

Thanking my parents for my years of riding, I dodged branches as I weaved in and out of the thick grove of trees which threatened to unhorse me. I could see the form of Marx as she looked back at me; her smile evident even from a distance. The wind made my unbuttoned shirt billow behind me and it made my eyes sting; tears welling up slightly. Tapping the mare in its flanks, I shouted wildly as I felt the mare's muscles kick into overdrive and begin to gain more speed.

We broke out of the grove and onto the open pasture and I barely trailed behind Marx as we tore through a loose herd of cattle; mooing at us in annoyance. I could hear Marx laugh, I was so close, and when I saw the house begin to grow larger in the distance; an idea came to me.

"Last one to the house makes lunch!" I shouted across to Marx; her head bobbing as she shouted back.

"You're going to be making me a sandwich!"

I leaned forward as the mare's hooves thundered across the pasture; kicking up clumps of grass everywhere. Kneeing her slightly, the mare shifted to the right, rubbing up against Marx and her horse. Grinning, Marx did the same, but with more power; enough to send my mare reeling to the side.

"You play dirty!" I yelled.

"You started it, I'm just finishing it!" She replied as she made a beeline for the fence separating the house from the pasture.

My eyes widened as I realized what she was thinking. It wouldn't end well.

"That horse isn't a jumper; he won't make it." I shouted, trying to get her to stop.

Yet, Marx didn't listen. Instead, she speed up and I had to watch as her horse neighed loudly as it neared. It looked like she would make it as she lifted in her seat to prepare for the jump and she yelled loudly as the horse leapt up and over the fence in a flurry of its mane mixed with her own mess of brown hair.

But, her ending wasn't the best as she fell as soon as the horse landed. I shouted an unintelligible amount of curse words as I reared up beside the fence and vaulted off my mare and onto the ground next to her.

She laid there unmoving, her face obscured by her hair and turned to the side. I gently moved her head over and brushed the hair from her face.

"Sam…Samantha, are you-

I realized I couldn't say anything else as my lips had become plastered against something. What I then realized was the fact that they belonged to Lance Corporal Sam Marx. Breaking away from the tenderness of her lips, I took a deep breath to calm my heavy breathing from the unexpected kiss.

"What was that?" I asked, cradling her in my arms; still unwilling to let her go in case she was really hurt.

"Don't call me Samantha, Eric." She said as she pulled me into another kiss which again left me breathless. It was the kind that made you wish for more and remained on your lips for hours after.

"Sam, we…I thought you just wanted to be friends?" I said dumbfounded.

"I changed my mind." She said softly before standing up and brushing dirt from her pants.

"You play dirty." I said, looking up at her.

Marx laughed loudly before offering a hand to help me up; grasping it, I jerked her back down and laughed with her as we rolled around in the dirt. I ended on top as I looked down at her on my side.

"You play dirty too." Marx said as she set her hands behind her head.

"Yeah, I learn from the best." I said with a wink.

Yup, I knew today was going to be an interesting day. And it got a lot more interesting afterwards.

**Well, here's another chapter, hope y'all enjoyed it as much as I did bringing it to you. I'm having a lot of fun hearing from you readers and I hope to be hearing from you again soon, so let's start it by hitting that amazing review button…come on, ya know you want to.**

**I want to make a shout out to saddas74 for all your reviews and RobbieLexington for all your input. Axel100 and Ragecandy sorry for not putting you in for a shout out, I really appreciate your reviews. **

**Well, once again this is FalloutRanger and I'm outta here! **


	12. Orders

**May 11, 2532 (Military Calendar)**

**Banner Ranch, Mars**

"Eric! Eric, get your ass in here!"

I groaned when Kaipo shouted at me from the porch. Sam only laughed before she pushed off the grass and offered me her hand.

"Come on, Staff."

Rolling my eyes, I reached up and allowed myself to be led into the house. The sound of our boots clunking on the hardwood floor couldn't drown out the sound of the television and when I saw that everyone had gathered in the media room. I was surprised to see Jones had graced us with her presence, but what through me off was the fact she was dressed in her combat uniform.

"Lieutenant Jones, nice of you to stop by." I said, sitting beside my mother whose hand wrapped tightly around mine.

Marx sat beside Kaipo who stood beside the fireplace; a grim look on his face. Dell's hands nervously shook and Parker just sat there staring into the television. My father, being his solid self, stood beside my brother sipping his coffee, but I noticed a slight tremble in his own hand.

"This isn't a time for friendly banter, staff sergeant." Jones said as she raised the volume on the television. "The colony of Barkus has fallen under attack by a massive Covenant fleet and has requested immediate assistance. Admiral Cole has responded and is taking his fleet to engage and relieve the planet."

Wait, what does this matter to us? We're on leave…I mean; we're not even assigned to the _Everest_!" Dell shouted in frustration. "I can't go back after…Sansar was too much."

"As of now leave is cancelled. Pack your bags marines, we're going back. The taxis are waiting." Jones said as she walked to the door. "Mr. and Mrs. Banner, I apologize for the intrusion and bad news. Staff sergeant, get them rounded up."

"Yes ma'am." I whispered as I felt my mother's hand tighten.

I looked down at her and I noticed how much the cancer had aged her. Her once flowing brown hair was now snow-white and she shook occasionally when she thought no one was watching. The thought of me leaving again hurt her more than the cancer and now I was being sent back into the fray before she could even realize I was home.

"Lieutenant, any orders for me?" Ian asked, stepping forward. I smirked at the sight of Jones stepping back and assessing my younger brother.

"Ah, yes, Corporal Ian Banner." Jones said as she reached into her breast pocket and pulled from it a sealed envelope. "You and two of your squad are to report to the _Yevon _and act as their ODST complement for the time being."

"Kit and Tom are out of the hospital? Bravo, bout time those sods got off their asses." Ian said, walking to the exit. "I'll pack now. Thanks, Lt."

"Ian…wait just a moment!" My father said as he gripped Ian by his arm. "You're just going to leave like that? What about your mother?"

Wrenching his arm out of my dad's grasp, Ian took a step back. "I got my orders, dad. Nothing else I can do…I'll catch my own cab, Eric."

Nodding my head, I turned to my dad. "Mom is going to be fine until we get back and we'll be back soon."

"That's what Timothy said when he left…" My mom whispered, gazing up at me. "I can't lose the last of my children to this…this genocide."

Snorting, Ian threw his hands up in the air; walking out.

"It's only genocide when we lose." I said, following my brother out of the room.

So much for home sweet home. Covies mess everything up.

Xxxxxx

The docks which were normally bustling with workers were now filled with marines and naval personnel trying to get back to their ships. I watched mournfully as families said their goodbyes to service members and the sound of women crying filled the area.

Shifting my weight, I turned to my father as he looked around him; awed at the amount of soldiers. I looked over to Kaipo as he continued to talk on the satellite phone lent to him by my father. Marx and the rest of the squad had already boarded the Pelican heading to the Everest and Kaipo was just wrapping up his goodbyes to his wife.

"Eric…take care of your brother. You know how much your mother worries." My father said as he stood beside me.

"I'll do my best. Ian's got a squad of ODSTs on his back. I noticed mom's hair…"

Gripping the front of my shirt, my father turned me to face him. "Now look here, son. You do not worry about her; you do your job and come home. Your mom and I are going to be waiting for you and your brother to come home to us. You understand me?"

I quickly nodded my head like the child I once was. My father had once been a marine during the Insurrection and knew how to get the best out of anyone. I remembered the day I told him that I had enlisted…he had never been more proud or angry in his life.

The docks shuddered as a frigate passed overhead; followed by two others. My father looked up before locking eyes with me. I kept my eyes up; watching the ships passing overhead and I ignored the increased movement and noise of the people around us.

"Do you get me, Staff Sergeant?" His voice full of authority knocked me from my thoughts.

"Yes sir." I said before being pulled into a bear hug.

"Then you make me proud."

I nodded once; turning to find Kaipo standing behind us. He handed the phone over to my father before slapping me on the shoulder. I nodded again as I took one last look at my father before turning and walking away with my arm slung around Kaipo's shoulders.

"Eric!"

I turned around, barely managing to catch a black wooden case with a hinged top. It was hollow and I shook it gently; revealing something inside. Looking up, I saw my father smile before turning around with a final wave.

Waving back, I followed Kaipo onto the Pelican and found an empty seat next to Parker who had already fallen asleep on Dell's shoulder. I laughed at the sight as I settled in the seat; giving a thumbs up to Marx who hesitantly returned it with a smile.

The crew chief came into the hold and began to check everyone's straps and threw a couple bags into the overhead rigging. I opened the top of the case and grinned when I found five cigars nestled together. Cocking my head to the side, I pulled a note that was wrapped around them.

_Eric, stop smoking those blasted cigarettes. You can't hide the smell from your mother or I. If you have to smoke something, smoke something worthwhile. I carried Caos with me during the war and now I give you some of your own. Stay safe, son._

Pulling one of the cigars out, I gently ran one underneath my nose; breathing in the strong smell of tobacco. I had a feeling I would enjoy these.

"Hey, chief, any word from Barkus?" Kaipo asked.

The chief only looked up and shook his head before heading back to the cockpit. Kaipo glanced over to me and shrugged his shoulders. The rest of the marines who took up the rest of the hold nervously looked around as the Pelican started up.

"Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. We are currently on course to the UNSC _Everest_ where we will hit slipspace as soon as we are on board." The pilot of the Pelican explained over the intercom of the hold. "As of right now the colony of Barkus has gone off the grid and Battlegroup Alpha is responding to the invasion. We will be docking with the _Everest_ in fifteen minutes."

My stomach flipped flopped as the thrusters kicked in and we were sent back against our seats. Two marines high-fived; cheering about getting some action. I could only shake my head at the sight. Damn kids didn't know what was going to be hitting them.

But I knew…I knew too well.

Xxxxxxx

**June 4, 2532 (Military Calendar)**

**Barkus Colony**

Banshees and Seraphs screamed overhead as I dug deeper into the rubble of what used to be a house. The Covies were chased by a squadron of Longswords who were raining hot brass onto our heads as we tried to push forward.

Battlegroup Alpha had arrived over a week ago and since that time we haven't had a single break. Fifty percent of the incoming marines and troopers were wiped out in the first wave and the rest had been knocked astray from their landing sites. Currently, Kaipo, Marx and I were trying to link back up with the ragtag battalion put together.

"Okay…let's move."

The three of us quickly rushed across the open courtyard of what had to have been a school. A couple of school buses sat smoldering and I almost gagged when I saw the burned corpses inside. Looking away, I shouldered the pack on my back and stepped over a low wall and into an alleyway.

Thankfully we had cleared this area when we came through the first time and the jackals we slaughtered still lay in their pools of blood. At least we had managed to get back at the Covies.

Pressing up against the wall, I glanced around the corner and spotted the sentry from the outpost pop his head up; motioning us forward. Whistling softly, I raised my rifle and covered Marx as she shuffled forward with Kaipo trailing behind her. Pulling my scarf up, I quickly followed them; hissing at the cold wind as it swept past us.

_Just our luck to get here during winter._

That's why we had been out scavenging; we needed supplies to help us outlast both the Covies and the winter.

We passed through the main gate; guarded by two M247 machine guns liberated from a couple of crashed Pelicans. We nodded to the bandaged sentry and his partner before heading down the stairs. Thankfully, the main base was underground inside what used to be the city's subway tunnels. The army garrison had managed to block off sections of the tunnels and now we were using it as the main resistance hub.

I handed off my pack to a thankful doctor as he and his assistants took the supplies and began tending to the wounded; military and civilian. Marx followed with her own pack of medical supplies and sat beside a couple of little girls she had adopted during our time here. I always smiled when she passed out candy bars to the kids who flocked to her.

"Staff Sergeant Banner, Commander Burns wants you in the Hub." A young corporal said from her post beside the stairs.

Thanking her, I tapped Kaipo on the shoulder before heading through a series of railcars into a tent that had been duped the 'Hub'. The tent helped to hide the real situation from the remaining civilians and regulated the coming and goings of the military units that were still active.

"Commander Burns, you wanted to see me?" I said, pulling off my patrol cap as I stepped inside.

"Ah, Banner. How'd the scav mission go?" The commander was an older man in his late fifties who was supposed to be enjoying a quiet reserve post, but the Covies changed that.

"Good, sir. We managed to find medical supplies in a few downed transports and we raided a clothing store for the civvies that needed warmer clothing." I said, slinging my rifle across my back. "The Covies have taken positions here…and, uh, here. They seized the airport this morning; taking about two hundred prisoners."

"Wait…the Covenant took prisoners?"

I turned to find Jones standing behind me with a stack of papers in her hands. She circled the room and stood beside Commander Burns.

"That's right. They are holding them in groups in various terminals; keep everyone from working together. Uh…apparently they managed to knock out our artillery also so…"

"So, we need to take the airport back." Commander Burns said, uncrossing his arms and setting them on the map table before him; various items acting as unit placements.

"Uh, commander…do we have the resources for such an operation?" I asked in disbelief.

Commander Burns looked over to Jones who stepped back and lifted the tent flap; allowing a trio of soldiers to enter.

They were clad in jet-black armor and their visors reflected everyone in the room. The ODSTs stood at ease as Commander Burns walked over to stand beside them. The lead ODST removed his helmet to reveal the cocky grin of my little brother, Ian.

"Hey, big bro. Ready for a party?"

**Well, the Covies have hit another colony and the marines have been sent in. Seems like they're having a little bit of trouble too. Yes, Barkus is a made up colony as it is difficult to find locations for the Covies to blow up and stuff…so don't get angry with me yall. **

**Expect the next chapter to be filled with action and maybe a couples of deaths…you know how things tend to explode around our marines. So hey, hit the review button and give me some incentive to write an awesome chapter. Thanks yall!**


	13. Charge

**June 4, 2532 (Military Calendar)**

**Barkus Colony**

"Commander Burns, with all due respect, you want to launch an attack with only our unit?" I asked in disbelief.

My brother and his squad nervously shifted, as did Jones, at the tone in my voice. I ignored because I couldn't believe what this man was thinking. A couple hundred marines with mixed army and civilians had a snowball's chance in hell of taking the airport; a reinforced position.

"Staff Sergeant, I know what you're thinking, but I've been in touch with the _Iron Justice; _seems like the swabbies will be giving us some cover." Burns explained as he began pointing at a map of the airport. "Now, we don't have sufficient transportation so some new transportation will have to be acquired. Corporal Banner…that's where you and your squad come in."

"You want something nice and fast, sir? A deep red, perhaps?" Ian asked as he crossed his arms.

Burns laughed loudly before pointing at the map again. "This area here used to be a police station; see if you can wrangle up some transport. Something in black if you could."

Ian crossed over to the table; jotting down the coordinates on a small pad before slipping it into his buttpack. "Alright, count it down. Kit, Tom, let's hit it."

The two other ODSTs, Kit and Tom, bumped fists as they walked out. I noticed a slight limp in the leg of one of them, but it was impossible to tell who was who in that armor.

"Be careful, bro." I said before Ian walked out.

"Oh, relax; Covies can't shoot worth a damn." He replied with a cheeky grin.

"I'm not worried bout them; just the way you drive."

Grinning, Ian replaced his helmet and disappeared from the tent. I had a feeling when I saw him next his armor would have a few more scuffs.

"Where does Echo fit in, sir?" Jones asked.

Burns looked at Jones like it was the first time he had seen her. I instantly knew that Jones had noticed that and how much she despised being ignored or forgotten.

"Uh, yes..." Burns began, looking back down at the map. "Echo will be a part of the main assault on the north wing of the airport. They will be the spearhead as the majority of this strike force will be made up of the remnants of the garrison and civilian militias."

"I'll go brief my squad then." Jones said as she turned to leave.

"Negative, lieutenant; I need you here to help organize the few reserves we have left. Also, you're my contact with the Justice; no arguments." Burns said as he pulled me over by my sleeve.

At first I was very confused why my CO just grabbed me, but then I figured that it would help to keep Jones from trying to argue. Smart move…

"Alright, Banner…here's the game plan."

Xxxxxx

The tunnel was bustling with activity as everyone prepared to move to the service. The wounded and non-combatants would stay hunkered down with a dozen walking-wounded protecting them; otherwise, everyone had a rifle and was moving out. I grimly noticed a teenage boy cradling an antique rifle from years past. The damn kid should have been in the backseat with his girlfriend, not on a battlefield.

"So, Eric, what're the chances of us getting hit by incoming mortars?" Marx asked as we filled magazines and checked then rechecked our rifles. The rest of the squad looked up at the question and then went back to their work.

"Depends on how fast we drive and how well we can dodge the civvies fire. Luckily, you get to ride at the back of the column. You'll miss the fun." I said, tapping a magazine to make sure the rounds were secured.

"WHAT?"

Sighing, I looked to Kaipo, who unhelpfully shrugged his shoulders and turned to talk to Dell. I hadn't notice until now, but Dell's hands had begun shaking severely since I briefed them on the attack.

Looking up, I locked eyes with Marx and struggled not to laugh at the fuming face she had on.

"Burns ordered all medical personnel to stick behind. We have too few medics and corpsmen as it is." I explained, setting my hand on her shoulder.

Slapping it off, Marx stormed away, going to stand by the lone railcar still in its place. I looked to Kaipo again who nodded his head toward Marx; reaching over to take my magazines. Thanking him, I stood up and gently placed my hand on the small of her back.

Swatting it away again, Marx looked up to me with fire in her eyes.

"It doesn't make sense, Eric. When someone gets hit, who's going to be able to treat them; when you get to the civilians, whose going to help them?"

"Sam…I agreed with Burns. Beside, we'll be on the run; we won't have time to stop and treat anything beside a little biofoam. I at least know how to use that." I said, trying to put some humor into the situation.

"Barely…Eric, what if you get hit?" Marx asked, pressing closer to me.

I ignored all the rules against fraternization and wrapped my arms around her. "Then I'll have enough biofoam in me to fill even Kaipo up, okay? Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"Oh, you know how I love doing stupid things."

"I'm serious, Sam. Whatever happens, stay with the medical teams and come up when it's clear."

"Roger that, staff sergeant." She replied, giving me a half-hearted salute.

"Good…now come here."

Xxxxxx

The convoy kicked up a lot of snow as we drove through the remains of the city. I never found out what city we were in, only that it got hit the hardest in this sector. We passed burnt car after burnt car, frozen corpses littering the sidewalks and roads. We tried to dodge them when we could, but we still hit the occasional snow-covered corpse.

"How's the weather, Parker?" I asked from the passenger seat, craning my neck to see Parker shivering behind the M41 light anti-air gun.

Parker mumbled something which was incoherent due to his face being mummified with scarves; my own wrapped tightly around my neck.

"What?" I asked.

"He says it's colder than a penguins balls." Dell translated from the floor of the Warthog. "I agree."

We all rose in the air as the Warthog hit another bump and caused us to swerve on a patch on ice. The tires spun uselessly for a split-second before catching asphalt again and sending us shooting forward.

"Nice moves, Kaipo."

Kaipo only grunted as he kept his eyes on the road and the buildings around us. We were in sniper alley and more than one recon team had been lost in this area.

"Staff, what's keeping the Covies from knowing we're coming and radioing for reinforcements? I mean…they should see us from their perches, right?" Dell asked.

"We're hoping the snowfall is messing with their communications; scramble the signal enough that they can't."

Dell sat pondering the idea before speaking up. "But that'll screw with ours too."

"We'll be okay."

That ended that. Honestly, I didn't understand what Burns was thinking, but it's above my pay grade…now, if my pay grade was high enough-

"Sniper!" Parker's muffled voice rang out just as the LAAG did; hot brass spilling down on a shouting Dell.

I scanned the rooftops for the sniper and caught the sight of a jackal sentry being eviscerated by the 12.7mm rounds. Purple blood splashed on the building as the sniper's round skidded across the front of the Warthog.

Kaipo kicked it into gear and floored the pedal. I grabbed the radio and keyed the entire strike force.

"This is Staff Sergeant Banner; all units spread out and prepare for attack. Civvies keep it tight and concentrate all fire on the infantry. Let us take care of the armor, out."

The rest of the units keyed their mikes once in acknowledgement. Leaning out the side of the Warthog, I signaled for a straggling Warthog to catch up; its driver swerving to avoid a fire hydrant.

Soon, the airport came into view and the long stretch of bare highway which left us open to anything. From this distance, I could see the purple fortifications set up by the Covies and even a few plasma turrets beginning to warm up…and then fire.

"Kaipo…"

"I KNOW!" He shouted, swerving to avoid an incoming volley. The plasma bolts impacted on a random car; hitting the fuel tank and causing it to explode.

Metal fragments rained down on us and I heard Parker curse loudly; prompting me to turn around. He was kneeling with the turret in the air and Dell clamping his hands on his calf.

"You okay?" I asked, tossing back a bandage. Now I know why Marx was so pissed about being left.

"Shrapnel caught me, I can't stand." Parker grunted as warm blood steamed from his leg.

"Move over, I'll get the gun." Dell said, slinging his rifle and grasping the LAAG. Shouting incoherently, he opened up along with the rest of the convoy. Hundreds of rounds were sent barreling downrange and sparked against the barriers.

I laughed darkly watching the waddling grunts diving out of the way and the jackals getting caught in the crossfire. The line of rounds sliced through a half-dozen jackals before green and blue energy shields began to pop into existence.

"Civvies, aim for the center mass of the shields!" I ordered.

_Where are the elites? _

We made it through the first line of defenses; running down a grunt who was too slow. Blood splattered up into my face, making me gag from the nauseous smell.

"Don't worry bout the stragglers; just keep going! Dell, how're you doing?"

"Keep'em in my sights and I'll take them out." He replied, swiveling to engage another target. "Whoa…We got…I don't know what those are."

Turning I noticed a wheeled monstrosity pull out from behind a bus; followed by two more. There were two massive wheels in the front with what looked like some kind of bladed weapon fixed on the front. Smoke billowed out as the pilots sent their crafts racing forward.

"Shit…we got Choppers!" I yelled to everyone when I noticed the fur of the aliens.

Kaipo cursed under his breath as he altered our course. Leaning out, I sprayed the Chopper with controlled bursts, but the wheels blocked every one of my rounds. Hauling myself back in, I turned to Parker who was readying another box of ammo for Dell.

"You got the launcher?"

"Yeah, Dell, move your boot!" Parker shouted as he handed over the unwieldy weapon.

Popping open the tubes, I found the two rockets nestled inside. Slapping it closed, I pulled myself up and stood in the chair. Wind howled past my helmet as I tried to track the lead vehicle when fire sprouted from the blades.

"What the…"

The ground in front of us erupted and sent snow and dirt flying on us. My head hit the windshield as Kaipo struggled to keep us steady.

"They've got cannons!" Kaipo shouted as he whipped around a speed barrier.

"Yeah, just found that out." I muttered, thankful I had a helmet. "Shit, what're they doing!?"

Another Warthog whipped past us filled with what looked like army troopers. Their LAAG was firing as fast as it could; the barrel red-hot. They were headed for the Brutes.

"Back off, back off goddammit!"

I could have sworn I heard the lead Brute roar as its Chopper was sent forward; smoke trailing behind it. Lifting the launcher, I fired a desperate shot and prayed when the rocket streaked towards the Chopper…and flew right past it; exploding against an empty tower.

"NO!"

The Warthog never had a chance, its armor like tissue paper as the Chopper rammed into the front bumper. The massive wheels grinded the troopers inside and I could barely hear their screams above the explosion that came after.

"You fucker!" I yelled, firing the last rocket and I cheered as it met its mark on the Chopper in the back; causing it to flip and careen off the highway. "Take that you fucker!"

The other two Brutes whipped past us; blowing through another Warthog full of civvies. I slammed my fist down on the dashboard; wincing in pain as the skin split on my knuckles. Looking behind me, I watched as the Choppers didn't turn, they just kept going down the highway; ignoring us completely.

"What are they doing?" I whispered to myself.

"Staff Sergeant, we're near the front entrance, orders?" A voice came over the radio; snapping me out of my revenge high.

"Uh…uh, yeah. I want the civvies to stick near the entrance; eliminate any stragglers. Who is this?"

"Specialist Tako Chon, 2nd Armored Division of the planet garrison." The man said over the radio.

"Alright, Chon, you're in charge of the entrance; keep the civvies in line." I said as we skidded to a stop in front of the doors.

Oddly enough the front was unprotected; the glass doors opening and closing on a grunt that caught a dozen rounds from an LAAG. Hopping out, Kaipo and I swept the area; shooting any corpses that were near us.

"Well, that was fun." Parker quipped from the back of the Warthog. "What's next?"

The rest of the convoy arrived behind us; fifteen instead of the original twenty-two. Civvies, troopers, and marines raced around; some setting up barricades, treating the mildly wounded, and chasing any still breathing grunts. The sounds of intense gunfire and plasma weapons echoed from the other side of the airport.

"Echo, prepare to move. I need a squad here, here, and in that sentry tower." I shouted; directing the flow of the troopers. "Echo's got point, two squads trailing us. Let's move people, we've got civilians to save."

Stepping over the grunt corpse, I switched my flashlight on and swept the darkened lobby. Rows and rows of suitcases and duffle bags littered the area; an occasional body lying amongst them.

Moving forward, we made our way through the main lobby; finding ourselves in a long hallway. At the other end, we were greeted by incoming plasma fire and red-hot spikes. Ducking to the side, I opened up; doing one grunt as another prepped a plasma grenade.

Shouting out, I rolled back and hissed as heat passed across the back of my armor. Rising, I opened up again, spent brass raining down on the marine kneeling below me. There came a loud roar as a Brute slapped aside a jackal and rushed forward; firing his spike rifle.

Ejecting my magazine, I watched as spikes impaled the trooper below me in the chest; blood sprouting out from his mouth. Catching the marine, I laid him gently on the ground, blood squirting out from a severed artery.

"Fuck! Kaipo, take that bastard down!" I shouted as I ripped the spike from his chest and shoved the tip of the biofoam can into the ragged hole.

The marine's eyes gazed up at me in pain and confusion as I filled his chest cavity with the chilling foam. The marine closed his eyes and his rapid chest movement slowed bit by bit.

"Stay awake, boy!" I slapped him in the face; snapping him awake. Grabbing a random trooper, I set him next to the marine. "You! Get him to the corpsmen!"

"Kaipo?"

"Ape got two new holes to breathe out of; the rest are falling back." Kaipo said as he switched to his M7; his sniper rifle slung across his back. "You three, spread out."

A trio of civilians spread themselves out when Kaipo shouted at them. I moved forward, flanked by Dell as he kicked the brute twice before moving on.

Occasionally, a grunt or jackal would fire from behind a pillar or wall, but we kept a good pace. We left a trail of bodies behind us, not just Covie, but a few unlucky troopers also. At each intersection, I left a few men to hold the area and link up with the rest of our forces.

"Commander Burns, we're almost to the main terminals. How's it on your end?" I said over the radio.

Explosions and gunfire erupted in my ear as Burns replied. _"We've got heavy armor and infantry. Looks like we hit a damn hornets' nest. We've got brutes."_

"Same here sir, about to move in to secure the hostages."

"_Roger that, keep me updated."_ Burns' radio cut out.

Stacking up on the double doors, I held up three fingers and began counting down. Kaipo nodded and tapped Dell three times on the shoulder. Nodding his head, Dell readied his rifle and glanced behind him to make sure the rest of the team was paying attention.

Making a fist, Kaipo and I planted our boots on the door and sent it flying open. We rushed in and covered our mouths instantly. Gagging heavily, I looked down at my feet.

Lying there, covered in blood, was a ragdoll.

"Co…commander…we're going to need some body bags."

**AHHHHHH! So the assault has begun and seems like the Brutes have entered the war! That sucks…**

**I don't really have much to say here, but I want to say thanks to all the readers and reviewers. Means a lot and I'm hoping for more!**

**Alright, FalloutRanger is outta here!**


	14. Too Many

**June 4, 2532 (Military Calendar)**

**Barkus Colony**

The stink overwhelmed me and that's after years of smelling charred flesh mixed with fresh blood…but this got to all of us. Wiping my mouth, I held my stomach as I begged for my stomach to stop expelling my breakfast. There had to be over two hundred bodies packed together in mounds of bloody flesh. Blood covered the walls and floor; squeaking under our boots.

I felt tears well up in my eyes when I saw a little rag doll hanging limply from a hand sticking out from under a pile of bodies. Then I threw up again.

"Eric…what…" Dell fell to his knee in front of the decomposing corpse of a young woman; maybe in her late teens. Only reason you could tell it was a woman was by what clothing remained on her bloody corpse. "They…ate them."

I turned away at the sight of Dell throwing up again; his sobs echoing in the terminal; devoid of life except for us.

"_Staff sergeant, what's going on?"_ Commander Burns' voice snapped in my ear.

"Sir, there are no hostages…"

"_What do you mean 'no hostages'?" _

"The fuckin' monsters ate them!" I shouted, kicking at the body of a dead brute.

"_Godammit! Alright…we can still take the ba…What is…oh, shit! Take cover!" _

I jerked my earpiece out as static filled my radio. I turned around to see Kaipo wincing as well; taking his earpiece out. I was about to ask what happened when the whole building shook violently; windows shattering and sending glass shards across the bodies.

I rushed to the window, careful not to step on any of the bodies. Looking up to the sky, I gasped when the clouds parted and, like a shark gliding through the water, a Covenant cruiser came forth. Cursing, I threw myself back as the main cannon warmed up and fired down at the base at some unknown target. A large explosion followed accompanied by the cries of humans.

I realized then that it was firing on the main strike force, Commander Burns' troops…and where Ian was.

"Dammit! Those sons of bitches; they set a trap for us!" I exclaimed, scrambling to my feet just as the doors at the end of the hall exploded inward and plasma fire poured in. "Evac! Evac! Evac!"

Three marines were hit outright, their cries muffled by the roars of elites, brutes, and the rest of the Covenant horde. Tripping, I fell in a puddle of blood, screaming as I pushed away half a corpse, and grabbed Dell who had curled up into a ball; sobbing uncontrollably. I dragged him through the door we came through; Kaipo and the rest of the marines slamming them behind us.

"Back to the convoy, NOW!" I said, handing Dell over to two marines.

I kneeled and laid a strip of C12 explosive across the frame of the door; carefully sticking the remote sensor in before hauling ass with the rest of the marines. Rounding the corner, I thumbed the trigger and felt the concussion from the blast against my back and heard the cries of fury from the Covies.

The building shook again as the cruiser continued to rain fire down on our troops. We didn't stand a chance so the only option was to run. We made it to the Warthogs and clambered inside only for the cruiser to appear above us. I stood beside the back of the Warthog with Dell slung around my shoulder; Parker reaching his hand out for Dell.

Kaipo screamed for me to get in. I threw the shell-shocked Dell into the back and made my way forward to the passenger side when the airport exploded. Fire blew out from inside sending shrapnel, rubble, and whatever was left of the Covies pursuing us all over us. That's also when it went black.

Just my luck, isn't it?

Xxxxxx

**June 4, 2532 (Military Calendar)**

**Orbiting Barkus Colony**

**UNSC **_**Iron Justice**_

"Captain Hicks…Sir, we just lost contact with the colony."

Hicks turned away from his data pad and walked over to his communications officer. The young man had drops of sweat beading his brow and a large gauze patch covered the left side of his face; blood dying it dark red.

"That's impossible…try again." He said, leaning over the man.

The officer swallowed before speaking again. "I've tried three times, sir…they're gone. They were just on the BattleNet and then, like a flash, they cut out."

Crossing his arms, Hicks tapped his fingers on his prosthetic and turned to Naomi. The AI had taken the form of a young geisha girl today and lines of code ran up and down her robes. Even she looked worried.

"Keep trying, lieutenant."

"Aye, sir." The officer replied.

Walking to the viewport, Hicks watched the remains of the UNSC fleet trying desperately to keep the Covenant fleet at bay, but to no avail. Even now, he could see countless Phantom dropships pouring down on the planet; no doubt packed with reinforcements.

"What are their chances, Naomi? Are our boys lost?" He asked, turning away from the viewport as the ship's MAC cannon shuddered and sent a round into the shields of a capital ship.

"About twenty-two billion to one that any UNSC forces will be able to repel the Covenant ground forces without substantial reinforcements." She said, her voice actually filled with sadness. "Orders, captain?"

Turning to face the viewport again, Hicks folded his hands behind his back; gazing into the black of space. He sighed as he watched the ruined hulk of the_ Argon _float past; all hands lost.

"We wait…give our boys a chance."

Xxxxxxx

I groaned from the splitting headache pounding in my skull; raising my hand to gently rub the back of my head; my hand coming away bloody. Coughing up ash, I wiped at my face and brushed a layer of ash off of my armor.

"Great…Kaipo, what…happened?"

My eyes widened at the sight around me. Only ruined buildings remained of the sprawling city; the airport looking like a skeleton as dust and ash swirled around me. I jerked at the feeling of something wet touching my hand. Looking down, there was a little Labrador retriever licking at my gloved fingers. He couldn't have been more than three months old.

"Hiya, boy. How'd you survive that blast?"

The lab only barked before circling and pawing at my hand. "Okay, okay, I'm getting up."

Reaching into a cargo pocket, I pulled a bandanna out and wrapped it around my head; wincing as I pulled it tight. Looking down again, I discovered my rifle had been crushed by some fallen rubble; leaving me with just my sidearm. Shit.

"Argh…this is Staff Sergeant Banner, Echo Squad, Recon; anyone on this station?" I was answered only by static.

Sighing, I started forward; the little lab pup yipping at me from behind. Turning, I managed a weak smile and waved the pup forward.

"Come on boy, let's go find some friends."

My boots trudged through piles of ash and rubble as I began walking back into the ruined city. I past a couple of burnt out Warthogs and I cringed at the sight of the corpses inside; blackened flesh barely hanging on to bones.

My mind raced as I tried to think of what happened…I remembered the cruiser firing and something exploding. There weren't any Warthogs around me when I came to so Kaipo and the others must have gotten away. I hoped they're alright.

Wrapping my scarf around my face tighter, I picked the pup up and pressed him to my chest; welcoming the extra warmth. A distant sound made me look up as a Seraph soared across the sky followed by two Longswords. The Longswords spiraled, firing their machine guns into the back of the Seraph; the tear-drop fighter exploding in an awesome blue fireball.

I cheered loudly, pumping my fist in the air as the pup started barking with me. "Yeah, you know who to cheer for."

"_Unknown person on the highway, this is Lieutenant Towers, UNSC Navy. Respond in any way possible."_

Turning around, I found a battered Pelican hovering behind me; its thrusters kicking up ash. The pup tucked its head into my chest and whimpered at the noise. Pulling my scarf down, I revealed my grinning face and the Pelican instantly banked to the right and landed; the bay opening to reveal two figures.

"ERIC!"

Stumbling forward, I raised a hand to catch Marx as she slammed into me. Her arms wrapped around my chest as she dug her sobbing face into my shoulder…right where the pup was. He started barking which made Marx jump and then laugh.

"I…I can't believe you're alive. We searched everywhere, the cruiser blasted the airport apart and…and…"

I captured her lips and her protests were muffled as I wrapped my arm around her. Breaking away, I dug my head into her hair; unwashed, but still smelling like the best thing ever.

"Brother, you are the luckiest son of a bitch alive! Never thought to look under all that shit at the airport." Kaipo shouted as he wrapped his arms around both Marx and I. "Hate to break this up, but LT. wants us to report this."

"Jones is in charge?" I asked as we made our way onto the Pelican. "Burns not make it? What about-

"Ian's fine, he and his squad are doing sorties from orbit; looking for any survivors. Commander Burns was killed in the first counter-attack." Kaipo sighed. The Pelican lifted off and shot out towards our new destination; staying low to the ground. "The Covies ripped our fleet to shreds and only a few ships are left; playing cat and mouse in orbit."

"The Justice and Everest?" I asked, sitting down and pulling the pup out of my jacket.

"Still floating, believe it or not…Hold tight, going through some rough neighborhoods. Towers, locking it up!" Kaipo shouted before slapping the button to close the bay door; the ruined city disappearing from view. "We're heading into orbit now; Justice is waiting on us."

The Pelican bounced back and forth as an unknown enemy opened fire on us. Nothing heavy, but enough to make Towers curse everyone's mother and family…among something involving a grunt and a jackhammer…

"Can I ask a question? How am I alive?" I asked, scratching the pup behind the ears. "Not that I'm complaining, but I got glassed right?"

"Wrong, but the cruiser didn't use its main weapon or else we'd all be dead. They haven't begun glassing yet which is odd, but I'm not complaining either. Towers, what's our ETA?" Marx asked.

"Bout twenty minutes, Captain Hicks is pissed you guys; something about stealing a Pelican?" Towers leaned out from the cockpit; her aviators reflecting us. "Y'all are in deep shit."

"Got that right…where'd you get that dog?" Kaipo asked, reaching for the pup.

I couldn't help but laugh when the pup yipped and then bit Kaipo's fingers. I think I found a new friend.

Xxxxxx

Almost every corridor had wounded piled in them and I passed more than a dozen body bags since stepping onto the ship. I had given "Buck", as I called the Labrador, to Marx who took him to the mess hall for some food.

Now, I was heading to the bridge where a certain captain was waiting to chew-out Kaipo for the stealing of a Pelican. Glancing to my left, I could see sweat begin to bead on his brow at the unknown.

Entering the bridge, we found ourselves standing before a man who had seemed to age another ten years in the last few weeks. Captain Hicks had his arm folded behind his back; his prosthetic missing.

"Sir, Staff Sergeant Banner and Corporal Kaipo, reporting." I snapped a crisp salute despite the groaning in my shoulders. Kaipo beside me was much slower with his salute, but still stood tall.

"Do you gentlemen know how much a Pelican is worth?" Hicks asked, his back still turned to us. "Because it is much more expensive than one…"

"Sir, with respect-

"But is nowhere near as capable as a marine or as important." Hicks turned around, the beginnings of a beard tracing along his jaw. "Welcome back, Banner, Kaipo. Kaipo, you're free to leave; get some shut-eye."

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Kaipo turned on his heel and left the bridge.

Hicks waved me over to the viewport. "Staff sergeant, its pure luck that you made it back. We are prepping to leave the system and…dammit! Navigation, move us twenty degrees starboard."

I shifted as the ship turned, facing the planet and the Covenant fleet that surrounded it. From what I could count, over twenty ships had moved into position around the planet. I sucked in a breath because I knew what was going to happen next.

"Staff sergeant, you need to get to medical…"

"Sir, please…I need to see this." I whispered.

The fleet warmed up their beams, blue and red plasma lighting up my face even from this distance. I felt my heart pounding a mile a minute as they fired; the streams burning straight through the atmosphere and catching fire to the planet.

I knew that there were still people on the planet, those who had still held out for rescue that had never came. Tears streaked down my grim covered face; creating tracks that I could see in my reflection in the glass. Captain Hicks' hand was clenched in a fist and his body shook as we watched the planet continued to be bathed in fire.

"Navigation set a series of jumps that comply with the Cole Protocol. Staff sergeant, remove yourself from my bridge…get to medical like I ordered you to." Hicks' voice was full of anger; anger that I felt now mixed with sorrow.

"Yes, sir." I turned to leave, hesitating for a second. "How many did we lose, captain?"

"Too many, Banner. Far too many."

As I walked past the rows of body bags and wounded, I couldn't help but think of the fact that every one of the wounded would most likely be patched back up and sent back to the fight. I passed a group of teenagers, boys and girls, who were covered in grim. Two of the boys cradled MA5s and another held a bandaged girl in his arms; tears dripping on her burns.

"You guys need anything?" I asked, kneeling in front of the group. The two armed shifted and looked back and forth before the taller one spoke up.

"Nnn…no, we're okay. Uh, well, could use a little food." The rest of the teens nodded and the bandaged girl looked up at me.

"Are the monsters gone?"

"No, but you're safe now. We're going to get help for everyone." I reassured them, placing a hand on the shoulder of the tallest; who barely reached my shoulder.

"No…no one's safe. The monsters will always be there."

**Whew, UNSC running outta the door with their tail tucked between their legs. Hopefully, they'll be better prepared next time. **

**Hope y'all enjoyed this latest chapter and I'm hoping for some juicy reviews! Come on, help a guy out.**

**Shout out to Saddas74 and the unknown guest! Thanks so much for your review and Saddas looks like great minds think alike; I had planned on the Brutes making a snack of the hostages.**

**So, come on and press the review button, make it a late Valentine's Day present.**


	15. The Beach

**December 31, 2532 (Military Calendar)**

**Reach, Manassas **

Six months later and one return tour to Barkus; I found myself in the "Broken Arrow" bar and grill. It was run by a former Marine Corps captain, Jonah Lark, an old wise bartender now. He traded in his rifle twenty years ago and even now, he couldn't reenlist due to his failing health. Jonah is constantly saying he's dying, but every time I walk into the bar, he's still behind the counter.

Barkus itself was now a lost cause as the Covenant had glassed the planet during the last engagement. UNSC High Command had thought it best to send a fleet back to try and regain control, but said fleet was cut in two the second we entered the system. I didn't even get my boots dirty before we jumped back out of the system.

So here I was; nursing a cold beer while Buck lay curled up at my feet. The Labrador had found his place at my side after he found me on Barkus and had earned his spot in Echo as our unofficial mascot. Currently, he was staring at me with his dark brown eyes as I picked up the last of the fried pickles I ordered.

"Alright, here you go…Hey Jonah, can I get another order?" I raised the basket and gestured to its apparent emptiness.

Jonah wiped at a glass and pointed behind me just as another basket landed on the table followed by a mess of brown hair falling in my face.

"Hey, babe. When'd you get off base?" I kissed Marx on the lips as she leaned over me and kissed my nose.

"Bout half an hour ago; casualties from some space battle kept us busy all day. How was your day?" She asked, nursing her own beer the waitress brought by.

"Good enough spent most of the day on the range with the new recruits and ran them through some combat drills. Damn, I do not miss the drill sergeants on my ass all the time." I said as I scratched behind Buck's ears. "Hear back from Dell?"

"Yes, actually. He's being transferred back to the squad; docs cleared him for duty. He'll be back in a couple of days." Marx said as she took another sip of her beer.

Dell had broken down after finding the civilians eaten and mutilated by the Covenant. It was to the point that he had to be sent to a military therapist and hospitalized for PTSD. The squad didn't seem whole without him and Parker had been moping around since he left; only Buck had kept him active around the base.

"Parker will be glad to hear that."

"I'll be glad to hear what? Hiya, boy!" Parker said as Buck barked and jumped up on his chest; licking at his face.

"Dell is coming back in a few days; just in time for us to ship back out." I explained as I grabbed a handful of fried pickles; tossing one to Buck. "Hicks is recalling us a few days early to help integrate the new replacements."

"Great, Dell's just gonna love that…We going to meet him enroute to our objective or he coming here first?" Parker asked as he sipped at his own beer. "How are the new kids?"

"We're meeting him enroute; that's what I heard last." Marx said as she leaned back in her seat. "Eric said the new guys are coming along well."

"That's what I said?" I asked.

Marx turned to me with an annoyed look on her face. "Well, what would you say?"

I rotated my bottle for a few seconds; contemplating what to say and what not to say. Truthfully, the recruits were just that, recruits, and I wouldn't depend on them until they had real combat experience.

"They're cocky and foolhardy; probably going to get themselves killed during the first firefight." I muttered. I knocked my bottle back and drained the last dregs before setting it back on the table.

"Well, that's being a little morbid don't you think? I mean, give them a chance." Marx said in disbelief. "We were just like them when we first joined up; we weren't the most experienced. I can think of several times when I felt useless in a fight and they'll go through that same stage; just have to give them time."

I carefully pondered my next words carefully before simply standing up and waved my credit chit over the sensor on the table.

"Time's not on our side."

Xxxxxxxx

**January 2, 2533 (Military Calendar)**

**UNSC Iron Justice entering the Dwarka System**

_Ladies and gentlemen, happy New Year, a day late but it's the best I could do. We have just entered the Dwarka System where we believe a strong Covenant presence has invaded the colony world. Our objective is to assist the garrison with evacuating all civilians and then retaking the major cities. 1__st__ Battalion under the command of Major Reynolds will be the first on the ground. Please report to your drop areas and God speed._

The intercom stuttered off as Naomi finished her speech; turning her body on the pedestal to face Captain Hicks as he sat in his chair. She may have been an artificial intelligence, but her programmers had instilled in her the sense of loyalty to the soldiers and marines that she had a responsibility for. She could only imagine what the captain was going through.

"Captain, all marines have been awoken from cyro and have begun reporting in to their superiors. Your orders?"

Looking up from the datapad in his hand, Hicks settled back into his chair and cupped his chin. He had recently shaved his head to hide the fact that his hair had turned stark white from the stress of command. He couldn't allow his crew to see him in such a state.

"Echo settled in?"

"Yes sir, they're going in with the first way." Naomi said, her face turning red and then green as she received transmissions from the other AIs in the battlegroup. "Captain, the fleet is ready to begin the evacuation. Green light?"

"Green light, green light to engage."

Xxxxx

The Pelican shook as we passed through Dwarka's atmosphere and was buffeted by exploding plasma on all sides. Inside were fifteen marines, half Echo and the rest were replacements. As of right now, I was in charge of this chalk of marines and it was my job to make sure most of them made it to the rendezvous. Which just happened to be at the top of a beachhead held by the Covies; thanks Naval Intelligence.

"Marines, this will be a hot LZ, the Pelican will not touch down for long. You get your asses off and into cover the moment we touch dirt. You do not stop for your buddy; you keep moving and take this beachhead so our forces can land safely. Do you get me?"

"We get you, Gunny!" They responded; a loud chorus of voices. Oh, yeah…forgot to mention I got promoted to Gunnery Sergeant a few months ago.

I worked my way up the bay and grabbed the handhold closest to the bay door and turned to face the marines. Most were looking around nervously while others crossed themselves. Looking at Parker, his head was leaning back as he rocked out to some music only he could here.

At least my guys were ready.

I glanced over to Kaipo who raised a thumb and I responded with the same. Standing up above the rest of the marines; I tugged at my new vest. The vest was just like the old assault vests from centuries ago, but provided us with more flexibility than the standard armor we were once issued. Only a few select groups of UNSC personnel had been given these upgraded vests and armor which was already paying off in my book. Plus, OD green just went better than grey.

_Much quieter than those old grey plates. Made me feel like a walking tin can._

"Gunny, we gonna be alright?" A private asked, his green HUD eyepiece illuminating the sweat on his face.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, I leaned in close. "Remember your training and you'll be okay."

"Ye…yeah." The private stuttered before grasping a cross hanging around his neck.

Looking at my watch, I pulled my MA5C off my back and slammed a magazine into the receiver; pulling the charging handle back with a satisfying snap. The HUD lit up and the round indicator came to life.

"Twenty seconds, marines." I barked; prompting the marines to unclip themselves from their seats and stand; their faces etched with both determination and fear. Good…fear will keep them alive.

The marines piled behind me and I crouched slightly; waiting for that door to open. I could hear the explosions through the metal and the distant whine of plasma weapons. Glancing up at the red light, I didn't dare blink in case it turned green and I lost precious seconds. I felt my stomach flop as the Pelican slowed and I felt it rock and parts of the metal turned red as plasma impacted.

"Hey, Gunny! I'll see you at the rendezvous!" Kaipo shouted from the front of the Pelican.

I grinned as the light turned green and the bay opened to the sounds of war. Plasma impacted all over the beach as marines run up and dove behind what cover remained.

"Go, go, go!" I screamed as I charged forward. My chalk was on my tail as we began to make our way forward; their war cries helping to bolster their spirits. One private ran at my side for a moment before a needler shard sank into his chest and dropped him instantly.

The beach was packed with marines and burned wrecks of vehicles dropped by the Pelicans. Scanning the area as I ran past burned corpses and screaming wounded, I noticed my HUD update the rendezvous marker as a thousand meters away…past the obstacles and Covenant held high ground.

"INCOMING!"

I dove into a crater just as a volley of plasma impacted and incinerated a dozen marines. Bits of flesh and armor rained down on me and the few marines that had taken cover with me. Looking them in the faces, I only recognized the private that had spoken to me before landing; the others I had no clue who they were.

"Let's go!"

Scrambling out of the crater, I felt an undercharged plasma bolt impact on my shoulder; knocking me to the side and it saved my life. The second I moved, a flurry of spikes sliced into the bodies of two marines that were on my sides. Blood sprayed across my chest and face as I caught one of the marines; crying as she tried to pull the spike out of her side.

"Medic!" The private beside me yelled; his young face pale from the sight. I reached down and grabbed him by the collar, hauling him up and pushing him forward.

"Keep moving, marine!" I ordered as we charged forward again; marines falling in behind us.

Firing off a few rounds, I dove behind a sand dune and took a moment to collect myself. Looking down at my body; I found tears and cuts that I hadn't even noticed. Rotating my shoulder, I noticed that my shoulder had become completely black, but I suffered nothing else except for a slight burn.

_Armor's much better…_

A nearby explosion dropped piles of sand onto the marines and I, taking me out of my thoughts. About a dozen men and women were around me, one with a Spankr launcher. Looking over the dune, I saw three plasma turrets and what looked like dozens of Covies. Thankfully not a single brute.

"You! On my go, fire both barrels into the barricade; try and nail the turrets." I ordered as I primed a grenade. "The rest of us are moving up and taking those positions!"

The marines nodded and their grips tightened on their weapons. "Now!"

The marine rose and took the longest second to acquire his targets before firing; the rockets passing over my head in a cloud of smoke. Rising up, I threw my grenade into the midst of the barricade. Two of the turrets were destroyed instantly along with their gunners and my grenade caught them unaware as a trio of jackals was shredded by shrapnel.

As one, we rushed forward, opening fire as we passed into the barricade and leapt over the bodies of bloodied grunts and jackals. I emptied a magazine into a jackal's shield as it hid behind it. Slamming the butt of my rifle into the shield, I knocked the jackal to the ground and shoved my boot into its throat; choking the squawking alien.

Pulling my sidearm out, I fired once into its face. "Bastard."

A marine took over the lone turret and turned it onto the Covenant that still occupied the barricade. Others threw grenades or began to set up cover of their own as more and more marines poured through the opening in the line.

Directing the fire of the turret, I heard the distinct roar of a squad of elites. Priming another grenade, I tossed it to one marine and she chucked it as hard as she could. The grenade landed at the feet of the elites and exploded a second later; their shields sparking and failing.

"Take'em out!"

A torrent of lead cut into the elites making them scream in pain as armor-piercing rounds cut into them. Purple blood splattered the sand as they collapsed in mangled heaps of smoking flesh.

Dozens of marines were pouring over the barricade now, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the Covies remaining. I watched as two marines latched themselves to a wounded elite and took it to the ground; another marine planting a shotgun into its split-jaw. Turning around, I opened up and cut down a grunt priming a grenade which dropped and exploded harmlessly.

The Covies began to fall back, mostly grunts and jackals as the elites refused to abandon their positions. After helping a few marines take down another elite, I reloaded my magazine and turned to find Kaipo jogging up to meet me; his sniper rifle cradled in his arms.

A single hairline crack decorated his chest piece, but other than that he was fine. "We got them on the run."

I nodded as I pulled my canteen from my belt; downing half of it before passing it to Kaipo.

"Almost too easy, don't ya think?" I asked, taking my canteen back.

Kaipo looked at me, about to speak when we heard a whining noise which drowned out the stutter of gunfire. It slowly died out as the marines stopped celebrating and turned to the sky. Raising his rifle up, Kaipo looked through his scope and immediately dropped it again.

"We got Banshees; take cover!" Kaipo shouted as he pulled me forward and threw me behind a Covie cargo crate. "Marx would string me up by my feet if something happened to you."

Ducking my head, I gritted my teeth as the first blasts from the Banshees blew into the marines. Screams of pain pounded in my ears as marines scrambled for whatever cover was available. Covering my head with my hands, the ground in front of us shook as a blast impacted around us.

"We got any air support?" Kaipo asked as he fired uselessly with his rifle at the strafing Banshees.

"Just a few Pelicans…Dammit!" I shouted as I emptied a magazine at a Banshee as it came right at us. Others joined me and the pilot banked trying to avoid the wall of lead, but instead flew straight into the path of another Banshee.

The two crafts lost power and crashed to the ground where marines poured fire on them; shredding the pilots as they bailed and putting them down before they could take a single step. At least we were in the fight still…I was wrong.

"Here's the second wave!"

**Author's Note: Guest reviewer, yes this is a recap of the Human-Covenant War from the perspective of normal marines. Thanks for the review!**

**Apocalyptos, I know, I thought of the Flood as well…the real monsters haven't been found yet haha.**

**CrumbledCandyWrapper, thanks for the PM and I can't wait to hear from you in the reviews!**

**Not much to say other than cliffhanger so stay tuned for the next action-packed chapter! Hint…reviews are nice.**


	16. Plan B

**January 2, 2533 (Military Calendar)**

**Dwarka-Three Hours After Landing**

"Into the brush, NOW!" I screamed as I hauled ass into the tall brush and trees. Kaipo and Parker followed me along with an unknown number of marines trying to escape the Covenant onslaught.

The Banshees had cut down dozens of marines before we broke contact and fled into the jungle. One reason we made it out was because of the brave Pelican pilots that distracted the Covies long enough for us to escape…the other was the fact that more than half the landing force was now lying on the beach in pools of their own blood.

"Faster…Kaipo, haul your ass! April will kill me if you get it!" I shouted as I ducked underneath a branch. "Eyes to the sky, Parker…fan out!"

Parker's acknowledgement light winked once as he fanned out to the right. He took charge of a couple other marines and had them widen out as well. Vines and branches whipped past my head and I could see a few other marines keeping pace with me.

"Anyone on UNSC channels, please respond; this is Gunnery Sergeant Banner. The beach has been abandoned and we are retreating…I repeat the beach is abandoned!" I leapt over a fallen log and held up a fist; signaling the group to stop underneath a canopy of branches. "Set up a perimeter; Kaipo, get up in the tree and see what we got."

About twenty marines surrounded me as I again tried to reach anyone on the comms. What I could hear was a shitstorm…marines, pilots, and civilians were filling the comms with chatter and making it impossible to make any headway.

"_Banner!? Holy shit, you made it!"_

Raising a hand to my headset, I laughed with joy. "Damn, Towers, this is a fucking shit storm! We need evac immediately; I've got a boatload of marines with me and even more in the jungle." I said as more marines joined our group, with varying states of injury.

"_Banner, I can't get to you right now! I got a split-chin on my ass who doesn't understand no means no! Dammit…look, I'm picking up a building about two miles from the beach. Get there and I can get you out! Towers, out."_

"Kaipo, how's it looking?" I asked as the radio cut out.

Making his way back down, Kaipo took a knee and pulled his helmet off and ran a hand over his sweaty scalp.

"Bro, the sky is full of Covie air support and…I can see the explosions in orbit. Fleet's getting their asses handed to them." He explained as he took a drink from his canteen. "I can see the building Towers told us about; it's a satellite array, we could use it to call some boats to rescue the civvies."

"What? We gotta get out of here, screw the civvies! This ops FUBAR; Covies fucked us up!" A replacement cried, rocking back and forth, tears rolling down his face.

"Stow that shit, marine!" I ordered as I stood up above all the marines. They looked up to me, my shouting cutting off the whispering in the crowd. I looked at them, a growing sea of young faces full of noncoms and a random officer here or there, but not one stepped up. Replacement officers fresh out of OCS it seems.

"Yeah, the Covies hit us hard, but we've bounced back before. At Harvest, we lost the planet, but we took it back from those bastards. Now you're saying that this mission is FUBAR? Tell that to the civilians that are depending on us to get them out of here alive!"

The marines looked around at one another as I spoke, heads ducking down as an occasional Banshee would fly above us. I looked to Kaipo who nodded his head; keep speaking he seemed to say. Shit…I hate public speaking.

"We are UNSC Marines; they didn't send the army to save this planet, they sent the leathernecks, the devil dogs, the most hardcore sons of bitches that have ever come out of Hell!" I hopped up on a log so I was high enough for all could see. "Now, if you want to go and hide beneath the navy's skirts than go ahead, but I'm headed to that satellite array and getting evac for the civilians that are left. If you go running with your tails tucked between your legs than you don't belong in my Corps!"

Turning around, I shouldered my rifle and started forward; my HUD leading me to the array. Kaipo followed beside me with Parker on my left…and the rest of the marines followed behind me. I didn't know what was in store, but the Covies were in for some payback.

Xxxxxx

The array building was tiny compared to the actual satellite, but most of the marines would be able to adapt the compound for defensive capabilities. Trekking through the jungle, we ran into patrols of Covies and lost more marines, but gained retribution and extra weapons. We made it to the array compound after picking up a straggler or two, but I doubted that we would be getting any reinforcements soon.

Clearing the main area of the compound was easy because it was basically a chain-linked fence. A few bodies littered the ground which turned out to be the service team that worked at the compound. More civilians lost.

"Parker, get a squad inside and check the systems; get a call out to the fleet ASAP. Kaipo, you're in charge of the perimeter, keep it tight and I want reports every fifteen minutes." I ordered as I slung my rifle and stood in the middle of the compound. "You three, police the bodies and everyone else, search the area and stay close."

The marines rushed around performing their duties and I felt my shoulder be tapped twice. Turning around, I snapped to attention when I realized the tapper was a lieutenant, flanked by two others. The young man was young and I knew that because he had a freezer burn on the side of his neck; only brand new marines sported those as their bodies hadn't adapted to the freezing temperatures yet.

"What do you need of us, Gunny?" The lead lieutenant asked, the other two squaring their shoulders.

"Well, sir, I should be asking you that, you've got the rank here." I said.

"Negative, you've got tactical command. We've all agreed on this; experience overturns rank. What do you need?" The man asked again.

I looked at the three of them and thanked God that I wasn't getting chewed out right now. Sighing, I looked around at what was happening around me before realizing what we needed.

"Okay, I need you two to organize our ammunition, medical supplies, and get our corpsmen under guard. Biofoam only goes so far." I said to the two officers in the back. Turning to the lead lieutenant, I waved him over as I started walking into the building. "Sir, I need you to use your rank on the comm to get us boats for evac; fleet won't listen to a noncom most likely."

"Got it, I'll radio you when I get a hold of them." The lieutenant said as we entered, finding Parker with his head in his hands.

Coming to his side, I tapped him on the shoulder. "What's up?"

"The fleet's getting torn up; Covies entered the system with another fleet and…dammit, Gunny, I can't raise anyone else on the radio." Parker said, looking up with sadness in his eyes. "I gotta find him…he's not…he needs me."

Placing a hand on his head, I nodded slowly. "I know how you feel; I haven't heard anything from Marx either. We'll find them." I whispered, more to try and convince myself than Parker. "Have you gotten ahold of Towers?"

"Yeah, he did."

Towers walked in, her jumpsuit and face coated in blood. Her copilot, I forgot his name, came walking in behind her; an M7 strapped to his thigh and a wounded marine draped over his shoulders. More wounded poured in with them; their groans of pain made me shiver.

"Take the wounded through here; back room has plenty of room." Parker said, getting up and taking one of the wounded.

"Sorry bout the pickup, but that Coviewouldn't get off my ass. What's the situation?" Towers asked, looking from me to the lieutenant.

Stepping forward, a corporal unrolled a map of the area on a table to our right. Waving her over, I pointed to our position.

"This is us and here's the beach. The Covies cut us off from where we were supposed to rendezvous with the civilians and the units that landed in the city. We've got about four dozen marines, wounded included, which leaves us with about…twenty-five marines combat-ready." I sighed, pulling off my helmet and placing it on the table. "How many came with you?"

Looking to her copilot, Towers waved him over, the man pulling two chairs up for him and Towers. Reaching behind me, I grabbed a stool and sat down.

"I managed to regroup with two Pelicans and they had wounded with them; couple of corpsmen too. Had about what…twelve all together, Martin?" Towers asked her copilot, Martin was his name apparently.

"Yeah, that's right. Picked up an ODST with those corpsmen; I think he mentioned you, Gunny." Martin said, pointing behind me.

Glancing behind me, in walked Ian with the cockiest grin on his face I had ever seen and behind him…Sam. We sprinted, more or less, towards each other and I wrapped her in my arms and spun her on the spot; kissing her deeply as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"I thought you were dead…" I whispered.

"You're brother found me and Dell with a few wounded after our pelican went down." She said pushing away and pulling Ian towards us. "I've got to help the wounded, but Ian said he's got news."

Kissing me one last time, Marx went to the back room and left me to the stares of everyone in the room.

"I'm…just gonna monitor the radio…" The lieutenant said, sitting down and speaking slowly into the headset.

Wrapping an arm around Ian's shoulders, I pulled him in close, thankful he was alive. We walked to the table and Ian set his helmet down. It was the first time I had taken a look at his armor and it was a wonder it still functioned. Burns crisscrossed and there was a deep gash in the center of his chest; probably from a Covie plasma blade.

"Glad you're alive, bro, but Marx said you had news?"

"Yeah, army's finally gotten something right and pulled back to this area with the civvies that made it to the rendezvous. They've held up at a museum in the center of the city." Ian explained, marking a point on the map.

"How reliable is your source that they're alive?" I asked worrying about what happened last time civilians were held up somewhere.

Looking up at me, Ian leaned on the table. "I got blown off course and my squad didn't. They met up with the army and I got through to them a couple of hours ago; I told them to get them to a safe place and they did so."

Sighing with relief, I sat on the stool and pulled a cigarette out. I patted my vest for my lighter, but came up empty. Groaning, Ian tossed me a pack of matches. Thanking him, I lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply.

Blowing smoke out my nostrils, I tapped the ash off and stuck it back in my mouth. Looking to Towers and Ian, I asked a single question.

"What's the plan?"

Xxxxxx

Apparently, the plan was to take two of the remaining Pelicans and go behind enemy lines, HALO jump out of said Pelicans, and land on the roof of the museum undetected by the Covies. Oh and at night.

Easy enough.

That's what I thought as we fell through the air and dodged incoming plasma fire. Throwing myself sideways, I spiraled out of the way of a flurry of bolts and passed over Ian as he went spread-eagle to slow his descent.

"You said that they didn't have anti-air!" I shouted, punching him in the arm. Cursing, I threw myself to the side again to dodge another volley.

"Yeah…I was fucking wrong, there I said it! Just keep aiming for the spotlight!" Ian yelled back.

Shaking my head, I glanced to my left and right, cursing again as I watched a marine disappear in a cloud of gore from a flurry of bolts. Behind me I knew that there were at least twenty-five marines still dropping with us and the Pelicans did their best to draw fire.

"Seems like a bad idea to aim for a frigging spotlight! Don't ya think? Everyone spread out!" I ordered.

The ground was coming up fast and I knew we would have to deploy our chutes soon. That's when we would get thinned out unless the army came through. I realized I had begun to pray out loud as my hand hovered over the activation plate for the chute.

"Marines, get ready!" I ordered, praying for the marines that I had volunteered for this op. Their deaths would be on me.

That's when cheering filled my speakers. Looking down, I noticed fire blossom up into the air from where a Covie artillery piece was placed and then another, and another. Explosions seemed to dot the immediate area around the museum and I joined the cheering as the incoming fire ceased.

"Deploy chutes!" Ian shouted as he deployed his own.

My chute shot out of my pack and I felt an immediate jolt in my bones. Aiming for the roof, I felt a feeling creep up my spine as I looked at the roof and spotlight. As we drifted closer, something shifted in the corner of my vision and blinked once and took a double take. The ground in front of the spotlight was illuminated and was slightly distorted…unlike the rest of the ground.

"We got elites on the rooftop!" I shouted, unslinging my rifle and opening fire.

The rounds sparked up the gravel roof and stitched up the elite, punching through its armor and dropping it into a puddle of its own blood. Unable to find another target, I began to spray the area surrounding the spotlight and was rewarded with snarls of anger and pain.

Landing and immediately unclipping my harness; I rolled and emptied my magazine into another blur. A black-armored elite dropped to the ground and groaned before its mandibles closed in death. Ejecting my magazine, I quickly reloaded and searched for another target. I cursed for the lack of heat signature detectors in my HUD as I felt the hairs on my neck stand up.

Turning around sharply, I choked out a cry as an elite materialized and wrapped its claw around my throat and lifted me in the air; its other hand knocking my rifle to the ground. My boots kicked uselessly as I gasped for air. I reached for my sidearm only for the elite to grab my M6 and throw it to the ground; growling in my face and spitting saliva on it. Kicking uselessly, I had about given up when I saw a black blur crash into the elite.

Falling to the ground, I snatched up my M6 and turned to the elite only to watch Ian drive a combat knife into its mouth and then pulling it out to drive it back into its eye. The elite's feet kicked like mine had and then stopped as Ian drove his blade into its eye again.

Glancing around, I watched the marines engage the few remaining elites. Pulling Ian off the elite, I snatched up my rifle and holstered my sidearm. Gunning down another elite, I threw open the door leading down into the museum and started down; my boots echoing in the stairwell.

"Kaipo, you've got over watch; grab a few spotters and keep me posted." I ordered through my radio, Kaipo's acknowledgement light winking once.

"The Covies must have had the same idea as us; use the roof to get in. Let's hope they didn't get through to the Civvies." Ian said as he followed behind me.

My legs burned as we passed floor after floor and the occasional body. When we reached a door blown off its hinges I knew we had reached the right floor. Fanning out of the stairway, I glanced around at the exhibit.

"Old U.S. history…twentieth century." I muttered as we passed by the shot up and burning displays.

"Who cares…the army's position should be up here." Ian said as he pushed past and ran to a pair of closed doors.

Grasping the handles, Ian threw them open and was blown back by a plasma grenade exploded a few feet in front of him. Rolling backwards, Ian snapped his M7 to his shoulder and unleashed a volley into a charging grunt waving a plasma knife. His armor still smoking, he rushed forward and took up position behind a statue in the middle of the room.

"Move in, check fire, we've got civvies in the open!" I moved up and sent a burst into the back of a jackal; its blood splashing onto its neighbor who turned and was greeted by another burst to its face.

Emptying my magazine into a charging elite, I ducked underneath its energy sword and slide on my knees into the open. Pivoting, I drew my M6 and emptied the clip into its back. Its shield sparked twice before failing and the 12.7mm rounds blew its chest apart.

"Eric, enough with the damn ninja impersonations; Covies are moving in on the civilians!" Ian shouted as he snapped a jackal's neck and relieved it of its energy shield.

Activating it, Ian ran forward and bashed a grunt over the head with the handheld shield and drove his boot into its screaming maw. I followed behind with the rest of the marines flanking and exacting revenge on the Covies. I downed a grunt as it threw a grenade, my bullets hitting another grenade on its belt and vaporizing the grunt.

Its thrown grenade, however, latched onto the rucksack of a marine. The kid screamed and panicked, backpedaling and running into a wall.

"Drop the pack!" A sergeant shouted as the grenade exploded and painted the wall and marines nearby in blood. The sergeant winced and cursed loudly; opening fire and killing another jackal.

"Eat this!" A marine shouted as he blasted a grunt apart with his shotgun; gore splattering across the floor.

Taking a knee outside another exhibit, I glanced in to see a hastily erected barricade fending off a group of elites and jackals. Looking at Ian, I pulled a grenade from my belt and primed it. Doing the same, I counted to three before rolling them down at the Covies.

They never expected to get hit from behind.

The grenades exploded in a ball of orange and red mixed with the purple blood of the Covies. A few struggled to stand as we strode in; effectively ending the survivors with vigor. I sent a single round into the head of a gasping jackal; its chest heaving as it struggled for oxygen and I watched two marines gun down a pair of grunts that were on their knees begging.

I grinned when the marines opened up on the pathetic aliens. Emptying a magazine into a disoriented elite, I bashed its teeth in with the butt of my rifle; blood splattering my armor. Standing up, I reached in and pulled a few of the sharp teeth out of its mouth. Looking at the blood covered bones in my hand; I slipped them into one of my vest pockets before going to the barricade.

Ian was already speaking to the soldiers manning the barricade as I walked up. Patting him on the shoulder, I looked at the man who seemed to be in charge.

"What's the situation?"

The man gaped for a second at the amount of blood on my armor before speaking a mile a minute.

"The Covies have the whole area surrounded and killed off the teams that took out their artillery…we're all that's left. Just my men and a couple dozen civvies we barricaded in the room behind us." The soldier said, a buck sergeant by the chevrons on his arm. "I'm sure glad to see-

"There were a pair of ODSTs with you, where are they?" Ian asked, stepping forward.

The sergeant glanced to his men whose faces looked to the ground and then back at us. He sighed before speaking again.

"They both got taken out about an hour ago. They volunteered to take out the artillery for you to land; did you know them?"

Ian staggered back before sinking to the ground; his chest heaving back and forth. Ripping off his helmet, he threw it to the side before screaming in anger.

The sergeant took a step back, slightly raising his rifle only for me to force it down.

"Get the civvies ready to move." I growled, taking a knee in front of my brother.

The sergeant muttered his apologizes before leaving with his men. I looked my brother in his face and in that moment, I remembered something our brother, Tim, had said before he shipped out.

"Find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain. You've got to keep fighting for them. I know that's what they would want." I said as I placed a hand on Ian's shoulder.

He shook for a second before locking eyes with me. His eyes were black as the night sky and I could feel the hate radiating from them.

"I'm going to kill every single one of those bastards." He stood up and ejected the magazine from his M7, replacing it and going to retrieve his helmet. He stood for a second, staring at the visor before placing it on his head and moving to the marines at the door.

"Gotta beat me to them, little brother."


	17. On the Rooftop

**January 2, 2533 (Military Calendar)**

**Dwarka, Museum Roof**

"Everyone get onboard!" I shouted to the civilians as I helped a little girl on board; her mother right behind her. "Towers, how much more room?"

Towers had landed alongside the only other Pelican and were now filling the transports with the remaining civilians and army personnel. The wind had begun to blow and kick up dirt from the gravel rooftop; stinging my eyes. Towers leaned her head out of the cargo bay and shouted; her voice barely audible over the gunfire from the ground floors.

"We got enough room for the civvies and the wounded, but I'm gonna have to take a second trip; fleet says it's too hot for more Pelicans." Towers said, jumping to the ground and making her way over. "I'm sorry, Banner, but you're going to have to hold out here."

Pulling the half-smoked cigarette out of my mouth, I looked over to Kaipo and his team; busy at work killing any Covie snipers that showed their heads. The roof shook as an army rocket jockey blew a Banshee out of the sky; showering us with bits of flaming shrapnel. Marx guided a man with a bloody bandage wrapped around his head onto Towers' Pelican and helped a little girl on board as well.

"Banner? You hear me?" Towers asked, shaking my shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, I got you. Look, just get the civvies out of here and try and get us some more support; that last ammo run is the only reason we haven't been strafed to high hell and it's running low." I muttered as I watched a woman drop her luggage and be pulled onto the other Pelican.

The ship lifted off and kicked the thrusters on immediately and soared up into the sunrise. We had been holding out for four hours now and my marines were exhausted; running on stims and coffee grounds. I grimaced as I sucked a coffee ground out of my gums and spat it onto the roof. Shitty coffee…shitty planet…shitty everything.

"Roger that. Stay strong, Banner, I'll be back." Towers said as she ran back to her Pelican and made her way into the cockpit.

I turned around a walked to the stairway; gazing down at the destroyed stairway. We had been pushed back to the roof two hours ago by a commando elite attack. They had broken through the main entrance and the only reason we could see them was because they were covered in the blood of my marines. We had been reinforced by the marines left behind at the satellite array, but they didn't have much to the already dwindling number. Even now, most marines were wrapped in blood-stained gauze and limping from one position to another.

"Kaipo, how you doing on ammo?" I asked, sitting against the roof ledge.

Kaipo's face was expressionless as he held up a single finger and leaned into the stock of his rifle. A split second later, his shoulder bucked from the recoil and I saw the smallest of smirks crack on his face. Ejecting his magazine, he cast it aside in disgust and sat next to me, his rifle left against the ledge.

"I'm out…left my last round in the throat of a fucking zealot. When's our evac?" Kaipo asked as needler shards chipped at the ledge.

Sighing, I leaned back and reached for my cigarettes. Pulling the pack out, I found them disappointingly empty. "Just kicked off…be about fifteen minutes till they're back."

"We don't have fifteen minutes, do we?" He asked, pulling his M7 off his thigh and running a gloved hand over the receiver.

"You're out of ammo, Marx is running around like a chicken with its head cut off, and we're down to mostly small arms. Ian is swearing revenge on the Covies for his squad and ignoring anyone who's near him." I crushed the empty pack in my hands and threw it over the side. Ha, maybe the Covies will think it's a grenade and run away…fat chance.

Everything is going down the tubes; ain't it?" Kaipo joked harshly; wincing as a marine took a bolt to the face. The kid convulsed once before lying still; left there in the middle of the roof unattended. "I'm going to go check for ammo…gotta be more."

I barely heard Kaipo as he crawled away; I was too wrapped up in my own mind. Couldn't send us anymore Pelicans…too hot my ass; aren't we worth anything?

Crawling over to the dead marine, I pulled his dog tags from his neck; trying not to look at his charred and smoking face. A plasma mortar rocked the building and flung my arms over my head. When I looked up, three more marines manning a gun emplacement were dead. Rolling onto my back, I just gazed up at the sky.

It was odd how surreal the morning sky could be. Odd thing was that I couldn't remember the last time I watched a sunrise; funny it would be in the middle of a war that I found peace.

Then a plasma mortar soared into view and snapped me from my thoughts. Rolling to my feet, I sprinted to the downed gun emplacement and thanked the upstairs department that the light machine gun had been spared most of the damage.

"You two get those bodies back and find me some ammo!" I ordered as I shouldered the weapon and began firing.

The marines pulled them away as another came up with a box of ammunition. He knelt and pulled the belts out and draped them over his neck. The last of my rounds kicked up dirt as they stitched up the side of an elite. Opening up the receiver, I stepped back as the marine fed the belt in and I passed it over to him; the bark of the gun drowning out the hiss of plasma.

"Lieutenant, you've got anything on comms?" I heard Marx ask the young lieutenant from the array.

The kid only shook his head as he folded a dressing onto the chest of a marine. Her chest was covered with blood where a needle shard must have exploded; the shards still glowing in the dark blood. The woman's hand was white-knuckled as he gripped at the lieutenant's arm; shaking wildly as shock took over.

"Hold on…evac's coming…just-No, dammit!" Lieutenant cursed as the woman coughed once and her eyes rolled back into her head.

Tearing open the top of her shirt, the lieutenant began chest compressions and breathing into the woman; her chest rising and falling gently.

"Come on…come on…I got a pulse, Marx!" He shouted with joy; a rare thing in this situation. "I need more bandages."

I left them to it as the woman began coughing and crying at the same time. It was amazing how resilient that one could be despite the odds. And the odds just got piled against us.

"Scarab! Scarab coming up!" A solider cried out, pointing wildly into the distance.

Making my way to the ledge, I felt my mouth go dry at the sight of the four-legged monstrosity coming at us. Even now their main cannon was warming up and…shit!

"Get down, get down!" I yelled out as I threw myself to the ground as the Scarab opened up.

The cries of marines rang in my ears as the beam passed through the far side of the roof; blowing the gun emplacement I had just put back together into ashes. Three down…the Scarab fired again…two more down. It fired again…blowing a chunk of cover out and killing another marine.

"LT, get fleet to blast that…what the hell?" Parker asked as he looked up at the sky.

Looking up with him, we all watched as the Scarab ignored us and turned its guns on whatever was falling from the sky. Four individual drop pods streaked down; disappearing in the morning sun and then reappearing just before they crashed onto the top of the Scarab. We cheered as the pods burst open and four figures rushed into the lower decks of the Scarab.

"LT, I don't know what you did, but I like it!" Dell shouted, slapping the officer in the back before running to the ledge. Gazing over, he fired a magazine into the ranks of the confused Covenant.

Grinning, he waved us all over. "Come on, let's get some!"

Uttering wars cries, the entire remaining force of marines rushed to the ledge and opened up with whatever they had. Rifles, pistols, and launchers all emptied their payload on the unsuspecting aliens. Blood and limbs fell to the ground as we emptied magazines and then reloaded, starting it all over again. The Covies finally snapped out of the stupor brought on by the pods and began firing back; downing a few slower marines who didn't duck in time.

"Marines, we've got incoming!" I shouted as a Pelican soared over the roof; its chin gun blazing and raining hot brass on all of us.

The Covies scrambled for cover as another Pelican hovered and loosed a few hundred rounds into the mass of aliens; dark colored blood splashing everywhere as the 70mm rounds tore through the shields of the elites and jackals. Three Pelicans swooped down from the sky and landed as a wave of Longswords streaked over the museum; their rotor guns sparking up the streets.

"_Banner! Get your men in a Pelican now; the fleet is about to glass the city!" _Towers' voice boomed in my ear.

"What!? We're still down here; there are more civilians in the city!" I yelled as I shoved marines away from the ledge and towards the Pelicans. "What're those pricks thinking?"

Grabbing the lieutenant by his collar, I shoved him and Marx towards the Pelicans; the wounded woman slung on the lieutenant's shoulder. Turning around, I watched the Scarab shake violently and from the distance it looked like it was sparking. I shielded my eyes as it exploded suddenly; blue fire rising up in the air as super-heated shrapnel rained down.

"Dammit, Towers, answer me!" I shouted as I slung a marine over my shoulder. She gasped for breath; clutching at her chest and the bloody bandages wrapped around it.

"_Gunnery sergeant, you will do as ordered; now get on this damn Pelican!" _Towers shouted. _"I went out on a goddamn limb to come back for you guys!"_

"Goddammit, get onboard; move it marines!" I shouted, waving the last of the marines forward. I watched as Kaipo jumped on board with Marx, Dell, and Parker. Their Pelican taking off as fast as Towers could make it go.

Leaping onto the blood tray of my own Pelican, I made my way to the cockpit. "Get us outta here!"

"On it!" The pilot replied, reaching forward and flipping a switch. Groaning the pilot lifted off and rotated in the air; flipping the switch up and down again. "Dammit!"

"What's wrong?" I asked, fear setting in.

"The bay door won't close; you gotta close it manually." The pilot replied, setting back. "I can't get us in orbit until you do."

Shrugging my shoulders, I laughed. "That's it? Easy enough."

I walked back, grabbing the handholds and making my way to the bay. Plasma bolts impacted the inside of the bay as marines hunkered down; cover nonexistent in the bay. Reaching up, I grabbed the manual lever and pulled down hard; grinning as the servos hissed and the door began to close.

That's when the luckiest shot happened…I mean, I seriously had to have the worst luck.

Right before the door closed, a needle shard slid through and impacted…right into the left side of my stomach. White-hot pain flashed as I shouted out and fell to the deck; my legs kicking out as I waited for the shard to explode.

"Eric!" I heard Ian shout as he rushed forward, reaching for the shard. Waving him away, I rolled onto my side just as it exploded; ripping my lower abdomen apart and spraying blood all over the crowded bay.

Gasping, I coughed blood up and I felt it dribble down my face. Ian rushed to my side; pulling my ruined vest from my body and tossing it beside me. Reaching out, I fumbled with the breast pocket, cursing weakly when my fingers refused to do what my brain wanted. A hand reached down and opened the pocket, fishing the item I wanted from it.

Kneeling beside me, I was surprised to see the young face of the lieutenant as he passed the photo to me; closing my fingers around it. It was of Marx and I after we got back from Barkus; we were still in our gear and grime covered our faces, but Marx never looked prettier. Her smile…it was what made me smile despite my lifeblood spreading out below me.

He…hey. LT…I…I never got your name." I whispered weakly, coughing and spitting a glob of blood out of my mouth.

The young kid looked down at the blood pooling under his knees before looking me in the eyes. I closed my eyes and in the distance of my conscious I barely heard him before I lost consciousness.

"Lasky, Thomas Lasky."

**Hey, y'all sorry bout the late/little rushed chapter. I have to say this chapter was hard because I'm not used to having such a large scale battle going on. I hope that you forgive me and that we can still be friends…please?**

**Yup, Lasky has entered the picture and Banner…well; I'm not going to tell you what happens to Banner.**

**So, I hope I'll be hearing from y'all in some reviews…come on, I'm almost to forty…let's keep going!**

**Thanks for reading and y'all have a nice day.**


	18. Hero?

**January 2, 2533 (Military Calendar) **

**Iron Justice, Orbiting Dwarka**

**Kaipo's POV**

"Shit, shit, shit! Kaipo, keep pressure!" Marx screamed at me as she grabbed another bottle of biofoam and sprayed it into Banner's side; ripped open by a needler shard. Blood streamed down the gurney as we left a trail out of the hanger. The lieutenant, Lasky, had used the Pelican's first-aid kit to keep Banner alive during the flight back to the_ Justice, _the only reason Banner was still alive.

We were now rushing to the Medical deck to save Banner as Marx threw the now empty biofoam can behind us. Banner was convulsing madly as he reached up for something; blood covered fingers grasping at an imaginary object. Dell was pushing the gurney as fast as he could run and Parker had ran ahead to prep the doctors…why was he coming back?

"Parker, you're supposed to be getting the docs!"

Skidding to a stop, Parker grabbed the front of the gurney and pulled it to the right. "Doc said to freeze him! Only way to save him! Come on, dammit!"

Exchanging a look with Marx who only nodded, we followed Parker into the Cyro bay and found the tech heads had already prepped the pod. I was shoved aside by a woman in a white coat and her team began to strip the rest of Banner's armor away. Running my hands over my scalp, I looked around the room, shocked at the number of men and women in the pods; already frozen. Even from my standpoint, I could see grotesque wounds covering their bodies.

"Why're these people frozen?" I asked. When I received no response, I shouted my question again. "Why are these people frozen, goddammit?!"

"Because we don't have the means to help them, marine! Move out of the way!" The woman shouted, brushing past me and typing in a series of commands into the pod's system. "Clear the bay, everybody out!"

Two techs moved forward and began pushing Marx and I out of the bay; followed by Dell and Parker who were cussing up a storm and refusing to leave. Groaning, I grabbed them by their necks and dragged them both out.

"Sam, you okay?" I asked, putting an arm around her shoulders.

Her hands were shaking wildly and I couldn't help but notice how much of Banner's blood was covering her hands and arms. Pulling her towards the elevators, I couldn't help but think of how much she would be changed by this…how this would affect April if she was in Marx's position…if I was the one being frozen.

"He'll be okay, right Kaipo? Eric's going to make it?" Marx asked as we stepped into the elevator; Dell and Parker following us in.

"He's a tough bastard; he'll make it." I whispered, unsure of myself.

Marx looked up at me; tears beginning to fall down her face; leaving tracks in the blood and dirt that covered it.

"You promise?"

Looking down at her, I couldn't help it. I knew it was wrong to say it, but I had to, this girl deserved some hope.

"I promise."

Xxxxxxxx

**January 24, 2533 (Military Calendar)**

**UNSC Hopeful, Undisclosed Location**

**Marx's POV**

Standing beside Banner's bed, staring at his sleeping body; his side bandaged up like a mummy brought back the memories of his blood coating my fingers. The feeling of his shredded innards as I tried to stop the bleeding with can after can of biofoam. I traced a finger down the side of his cheek, finally devoid of his blood, and smiled as he murmured in his sleep.

"Mmph…Sammm…" He muttered.

"I'm right here babe. I'm not going anywhere." I said, leaning down and kissing the top of his forehead.

"He's doing well now."

I'm not proud to say that I squealed and jumped at the same time; turning to find Lieutenant Jones staring from the doorway with her arms hanging at her sides. I gulped nervously as she watched Banner; her eyes having a predatory look in them. Instinctively, my hand found its way into Banner's and this seemed to snap the lieutenant from her stare.

"I cared for him…I really did, but I messed that up." Jones looked at me, her eyes actually full of sadness. "You've been a friend to him ever since he got out of the brig. Take care of him, alright? I could tell that you cared for him the second you saw him."

I nodded wordlessly, glancing back at Banner. "Ma'am, I'm sorry that it had to end up like this. I didn't mean to-

Jones waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing to apologize for; besides, I couldn't become something in this military if I was involved in a relationship with a subordinate."

With that, Jones walked out of the room; leaving me to my thoughts. Jones had always seemed that she had her career first instead of her squad, but she had never openly said it. Something was going to happen or it had already.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere." I said as I folded myself into the bedside chair and closed my eyes.

I dreamed for the first time in a very long time.

**January 25, 2533 (Military Calendar)**

**UNSC Hopeful, Undisclosed Location**

**Banner's POV**

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the sheets. Weird thing, I know, but damn were they soft. Then came the beeping…that constant, annoying beeping that revealed where I was.

"Fuckin hospitals…" I groaned, my throat raw. Sitting up, I was surprised to see a window which had quite the view of space and the planet below. Turning sent pain up my side, making me hiss; causing a blanket covered mass in a chair to moan and shift.

Pulling the blanket down, Marx blinked her eyes and rubbed at them lazily before they focused on me.

"Mmm…Eric…Ho-you're awake?!"

Grinning and wincing at the same time, I sat up more in bed; placing a hand over my bandages.

"So if I'm in the hospital; how does the other guy look?"

Smiling, Marx launched herself out of her chair and into the bed beside me; kissing my face over and over. Laughing, I kissed her back and pulled her to my chest.

"You're alright, right?" I asked, stroking her cheek. "Any new scars?"

Laughing, Marx slapped my chest playfully. "You wouldn't even know about the old ones. How're you feeling?"

Leaning my head back, I gazed out the window into the black of space and in that moment…with Sam, I felt peace for the first time in a long time. I guess I took too long to respond because she nudged my arm gently. Looking down at her, I kissed the bridge of her nose.

"I'm perfectly fine, babe…perfectly fine. Where are we? This doesn't look the med bay on the_ Justice_." Looking back out the window, I watched a small frigate pass by; followed by a patrol of Longswords.

"No, we're on the UNSC _Hopeful _because the doctors on the _Justice _were swamped with casualties. You've been unconscious for the last few weeks and you've missed a lot." Marx said as she sat up and slipped off the bed.

Sitting up myself, I swung my legs over the side of the bed; gently laying a hand over my bandages.

"What do you me-

I was interrupted midsentence by the door opening and in walked the last person I wanted to see. Her hair was tied into a no-nonsense ponytail and her eyes were locked on mine and held a mighty sense of distain. Her uniform was by the book perfect, but what threw me off was the color…jet black.

"Corporal Marx, vacate the room immediately." Jones muttered, not even looking at Marx.

Casting a worried glance in my direction, Marx nodded one before slipping out of the room.

I could tell that I was about to find out what Marx had wanted to tell me. Jones walked to the window and clasped her hands behind her back before turning to face me.

"How are you feeling, Gunny?" Jones asked. "Hope you're feeling well after your heroics."

Cocking my head to the side in confusion, I asked simply. "What heroics?"

"The last stand on Dwarka, of course. Against all odds, a team of Recon marines held off a superior force and defeated a Scarab…now that's something the media will just eat up. You've been awarded the Cross of Valor and-

"Shit…more costume jewelry? I don't want it, lieutenant; I'm just here to fight. Those men that took out the Scarab are the heroes." I said angrily, hissing as I pulled on my stiches standing up. "What about those ODSTs, are they being awarded the Cross of Valor?"

"The Spartans that saved your detachment have already been given their dues and a new mission. Helljumpers were not a part of your op as they were largely on the northern hemisphere and were heavily engaged by the Covenant." Jones explained, crossing the room to my bed.

I sighed as I pulled a robe off the bedside chair and slipped it on. Picking up a pitcher of water, I filled a glass and mentally cheered as the cool water slid down my throat.

Finishing the glass, I turned back to Jones. "So what's your reason for wearing the black? You gone spook on us? You didn't drop with us on Dwarka and hadn't been around even before that. I had to come up with a lot of excuses for you."

Smirking, Jones reached inside her jacket pocket and tossed a sealed envelope onto my bed. "ONI recruited me a few months back actually; I've been following the squads progress."

Warily, I picked it up and opened the envelope and pulled from it a stack of papers. In an instant I knew what I held.

"Orders? What are you playing at?" I asked, clutching the papers in my slightly shaking hand. "You pulling me from Echo?"

"Ha, no I'm actually not." Jones said as she walked to the door; opening it before turning back around. "Read it, you'll actually be surprised."

Rolling my eyes as she left, I sat back on the bed and unfolded the papers. Skimming over the majority of the words before my eyes found the beginning of the actual orders. My eyes widened at the bolded words and I had to reread them over and over.

_Gunnery Sergeant Eric Banner, due to your tremendous service, UNSC High Command has decided to push for your acceptance as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. This is a high honor to be presented with this opportunity. Training will begin as soon as you are able. You will report to Reach for training along with the rest of your squad; known as Echo Squad. _

"Holy shit." I muttered, setting the papers down and laying my head in my hands.

Thoughts raced through my head as I sat on the bed racing back and forth. The advantages and disadvantages crowded my head when I noticed something in the corner of my eye. Looking up, I took a double take at the sight of Ian leaning against the wall; arms crossed and a smirk plastered on his face.

"So you're taking the offer right? Your entire squads got the chance; don't waste my recommendation bro." Ian said as he pointed at the papers spread on my bed.

"You pushed for this?" I asked, picking up the papers and holding them out. "I thought that my crazy ex was trying something to make her look good."

Ian's eyes bugged out at my statement. "She's your ex…damn bro, how'd you mess that up? You mind if I ask her out?"

Shaking my head, I stood up and crossed to my closet; finding a set of BDUs inside. Dressing quickly, I motioned for Ian to follow me out of the room. Pushing off the wall, he jogged to my side.

"So was that a yes?"

I'm proud to say that my stiches did not hurt when I slapped my brother in the back of the head.

"What! What did I do?"

I laughed as we passed by the rows of hospital wards and I swallowed my smile at the sight of the burned soldiers and a woman sitting in a wheelchair; her legs wrapped in bandages as she stared out the window. She was slumped in her wheelchair as she stared out a large window; her hand twitching nervously as we passed.

"Damn…" I muttered, glancing away from a double leg amputee; his eyes vacate.

"Got that right…quarter million casualties and it's still rising." Ian said as we stepped into an elevator. "Most of the dead are civilians; barely any made it off the planet. They're calling you the Hero of Dwarka for getting that group of civilians out."

Sighing, I rubbed my face and leaned against the elevator wall. "People aren't really are they? All I did was my job…dammit! Those Spartans saved our asses and now everyone's calling me a hero!"

Ian shrugged as he watched the floor indicator count up. He was no help I decided; reaching in my pocket and finding an empty packet of cigarettes.

"God, what I'd give for a smoke right now." I said, putting the pack back in my pocket.

"You've got those cigars dad gave ya. Smoke those." Ian said as the elevator arrived on the housing deck.

"Those are saved for a special time. Gotta have something to celebrate." I replied, putting my hands in my pockets.

"You're alive…that's something. More than I can say for my squad…so don't say that there's nothing to celebrate Eric." Ian said as he walked out of the elevator and around the corner; head hanging down.

I contemplated going after him, knowing that he was struggling with being the lone survivor. I had felt the same when my squad had been killed in the freak accident and I knew I'd never be the same.

Walking out of the elevator, I passed two marines chatting among themselves. I nodded respectfully as I past them or at least, tried to. The larger of the two, a bald man with a wad of tobacco in his cheek, grabbed me by the arm and swung me around.

Grabbing his hand, I shoved his hand off. "Can I help you corporal?"

The big man smiled before thrusting his hand into mine; shaking it wildly and making me feel like it was about to fall off.

"I was on that roof with you, Gunny. You kept our asses out of the fire that whole night." The man said, releasing my now throbbing hand. "You're a hero according to everyone, but especially my wife."

"Ha, his wife cried when she heard from him the other day. News is spreading fast, Gunny." The other marine said, shaking my hand as well.

Raising my hands, I shook my head slowly.

"I'm not a hero, you two. I just did my job." I said, backing away from them and continuing down the hallway. I was about to round the corner when an idea came to me.

"Hey…next time you see a Spartan, tell them that Eric Banner owes them big time." I shouted down the hallway.

The bald man raised up a thumb as the other just nodded.

I continued down the hallway, feeling a chill go down my spine at the marine's words. I wasn't a hero, I knew that much. Doing a job doesn't make you one; I was scared shitless the whole time…I didn't deserve the praise whatsoever.

"It's not fucking right…"

**I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I promise to have more coming soon. Looking for that 50 review mark, help me out yall! **


	19. Graduation

**June 10, 2533 (Military Calendar)**

**Manassas, Reach**

"Come on, meat! That all you got?"

I groaned as I stood; pain exploding in my side from the savage kick to my barely-healed wound. In front of me was the lead instructor in hand-to-hand combat, Captain Reynolds, and he was kicking my ass. Surrounding us was the entire training platoon, but five months into training and it was already stripped down to about a dozen including my squad. We were nearing completion and it showed as the instructors pitted us against them. I was the third one to go against the captain and I think my right eye is bleeding…

Spitting out a glob of blood, I darted to the side and kicked up a mound of dirt into the face of Reynolds; blinding him as I sent my fist straight into his jaw. He staggered back, dazed as he tried to wipe the dirt from his eyes. He lashed out and managed to clip my temple, but I twisted my head to lessen the blow; kicking out with my foot into the side of his knee. Taking advantage, I stepped in and gave an upper-cut that sent him sprawling to the ground.

Grinning, my teeth bloody, I backed away to the cheers of the platoon. Kaipo, his massive hands patting me on the back, cheered louder as the platoon chanted my name over and over. The rest of the instructors only smirked as Reynolds picked himself up; an equally bloody grin on his face.

"Listen up!" Reynolds barked, abruptly shutting up the chanting. "Use the environment to your advantage. Use it to kill that Covie bastard before he manages to kill you himself. Do you get me?"

In unison, we snapped to attention, roaring. "We get you, sir!"

"Damn right you do! Now as it seems your fellow trainee has managed to wind me; it seems that I owe you all something. Is that right?" Reynolds asked, an evil grin already spreading on his face.

"Sir, yes, sir!" We chanted, knowing what was to come.

Laughing, Reynolds pointed at the barracks…or rather in the direction of them. The rest of the instructors began to climb into Warthogs as we all let out groans.

"You pretty ladies have graduation tonight, but first you have to get back to the barracks. You want to wear the black than get your asses in gear! Start running!" Reynolds barked.

"Oorah!" We all screamed as we turned and ran; dirt being kicked up as we ran like crazy for the hot showers.

Xxxxxxx

I couldn't stop looking down at the insignia on my collar as I sat in the Broken Arrow nursing a beer; Buck lying at my feet. The bar was full of the graduating class of new ODSTs and we could finally call ourselves Helljumpers…Oorah.

"Hey, Gunny, remember our first training drop?" Dell asked as he ruffled Buck's ears playfully.

"Yeah, I remember you shitting your pants the instant we hit dirt. The instructor specified that you go before you do your first drop; numb nuts." I laughed as I drained the last of my beer; signaling for another.

"Hey now, you know that it wasn't the drop that did it." Dell protested, throwing his hands in the air.

"Oh, what was it then?" Parker asked as he massaged his forearm where his fresh tattoo still held its sting. "Cuz I remember lunch being pretty healthy that day…plenty of fiber."

All of us busted out laughing as Dell's face grew redder and redder by the second and it didn't help when Jonah Lark came traipsing over with our beers. Setting them on the table, he folded his tray under his arm and got in Dell's face.

"Boy, you know that you look like the zit on my ass being that red." He said with that matter-of-fact tone of voice.

Parker actually fell out of his chair laughing and the motion caused Buck to jump up and start barking in his face before licking it wildly. Parker hollered as Buck jumped on his face and took him back to the ground.

"Dammit, Buck, down boy!" Parker said, managing to push him off.

Buck retreated by under my chair, a look of satisfaction on his face. "I gotta say, Jonah, the place is really starting to look good."

Jonah smiled as he took a prideful look at his bar. Hanging on all the walls were battle-scarred mementos of the war. Armor taken from a Wraith adored one wall surrounded by the smiling faces of some unknown marine squad. On another wall there was a full set of elite armor; a massive hole in the chest plate; courtesy of Kaipo actually.

"Yeah, you kids have been good to this old jarhead. This round is on me." Jonah said as he shook my hand; the rest of the bar cheering.

"Jo-Jonah…you're 'hick' too good to ussss." Marx slurred as she staggered to her feet and planted a sloppy kiss on the old bartender's cheek.

Reeling back, Jonah's nose scrunched up as he politely pushed Marx towards me. "Son, the little lady has had a few too many; take her home."

"Haha, alright. Save my beer for next time, eh Jonah?" I asked as I scooped up Marx as she tried pulled on my shirt.

Waving his hand, Jonah returned to his bar; leaving the rest of us to ourselves. I looked at the two men who had spent the last few months in literal Hell and at that moment I couldn't be prouder. Sure they were goofballs, but I'd rather have them on my side than any other battalion. There was a vacant seat…Kaipo had skipped the bar to catch a cab to see his family. April had managed to get a babysitter and well…you get the idea.

"You two be ready to report in the morning." I said as I took my leave; the two ODSTS throwing me a cocky salute as they tipped their beers back.

"Ewic, 'hick' where weee goin?" Marx asked as I carried her out and hailed a cab. A soft mist was beginning to fall as the cab drove through the crowded street. She giggled at neon lights that lit up the city; illuminating the rain drops on the window like Christmas lights.

"Pretty…lights…"Marx muttered as her head fell on my chest. "Eric?"

I looked down in surprise at my name not being slurred. "Yeah, Sam?"

Marx gazed up at me with clear eyes and I was surprised that she hadn't passed out from the alcohol yet. Taking my hand, she folded her fingers into my own and laid her head on my chest again.

"Marry me." She whispered.

My eyes shot open at her words and I gulped silently. She didn't want to marry me. I mean, I'm just a jarhead; not worth anything. I couldn't provide for her especially since we would be in combat…dammit we were at war and we could be dead the next day.

"Sam…you don't want to marry me…Sam?" I looked down to see that she had peacefully fallen asleep; a lock of hair falling on her face.

Gently pushing it behind her ear, I kissed the bridge of her nose and settled back into my seat.

"Naval shipyards, on the double." I told the driver as I gazed out the window. It felt strange watching the raindrops on the glass slowly race down and disappear from view.

Made me realize that I some point I would be like them; one marine in a sea of many. Better do something impulsive and probably stupid while I can. I grinned as I settled back against the seat; relaxing to the sound of Marx's steady breathing. I guess I could get used to the sound.

Xxxxx

**June 27, 2533 (Military Calendar)**

**Iron Justice, Reach Naval Docks**

"_All personnel, report to your commanding officers before settling in. Medical teams prepare your equipment and double-check; we'll be expecting casualties. Marines, again, the rules for drinking during leisure hours are still in effect, but remember to check your shift schedule."_

Naomi's voice boomed out over the ship speakers as Kaipo, Marx, and I boarded the Justice. The A.I. had the same speech every time we boarded, but the casualties' part was different. It meant we were heading for action, not patrol duty as we were led to believe.

"Dammit…why'd you let me drink so much?" Marx muttered as she rubbed her temples. "You know how I can't handle too much."

Laughing, I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close. "I tried, but you were determined to enjoy your success; we're ODSTs now, can you believe it?"

Kaipo smirked as he traced a finger over a picture of April and Rebecca before sticking it in his pocket.

"Bro, I just can't believe that they gave us one day for leave." Kaipo sighed. "April said she hadn't been feeling well lately and I'm worried. I know we got a few days during training, but I miss my-

"Hold it right there, Kaipo. We're going to be fine and your family is going to be fine. Reach is the safest place to be, alright?" I said, punching him in the arm.

We made our way into a crowded elevator full of marines and sailors. Most of the marines were shouting and shoving one another; making the elevator space even smaller. I noticed that the loudest ones were younger than the rest and were definitely rookies. I did laugh though when Kaipo cleared his throat and the elevator went silent. He looked at me and wiggled his eyebrows up and down…perks of being an ODST he seemed to say.

"Sam, Kaipo, y'all head on to your rooms; I gotta meet with the captain before I settle in." I said when the elevator opened on the dormitory level and the occupants more or less fled from the space; leaving myself and an older sailor alone.

"Alright, Dell said he brought Buck on board earlier so I'll find him. See ya, Eric." Marx said as she stood on her toes and planted a kiss on my cheek.

The doors hissed shut and I glanced over at the sailor; noticing a smirk on his face. He dropped his duffle on the deck before glancing at me.

"Your girlfriend?" He asked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a photograph.

Laughing, I nodded. "Yeah, believe it or not."

The sailor laughed a deep, older sounding laugh before passing the photo over. Taking it, I found myself looking at a younger version of the sailor and a pretty, dark-haired girl; her arms wrapped around his waist as they stared out at the camera. They looked happy. I noticed a gleam on their fingers and I saw a gold ring on each of their hands.

"Your wife; she live on Reach?" I asked, passing the photo back.

The sailor shook his head before pressing his lips to the picture and placing it back in his pocket.

"She shipped out a week after we were married; she was so excited to be on patrol. Turns out her patrol route led straight into a Covie ambush; all hands lost…I didn't even get her remains back." The sailor said, a single tear falling down his cheek. "Kind of makes you think of what you could have done differently, right?"

I crossed my arms and stared at the deck. "Yeah, kinda does."

I was so lost in thought that I didn't realize the lift had stopped and the sailor was gathering up his bag. He patted me once on the arm before stepping out.

"Don't let go of your girl cuz you won't know what you're missing till she's gone." The sailor's wise words cut deep as I threw my duffle over my shoulder and walked down the hallway to the bridge.

The pair of marine guards nervously traded glances before stepping aside; allowing me to enter. The normal hustle and bustle of the bridge rang in my ears as I made my way past orderlies and tech heads. Finding the captain in from of the viewport, I dropped my duffle and snapped to attention; saluting sharply.

"Sir, Gunnery Sergeant Banner, reporting as ordered." I barked, trying to suppress a laugh when Naomi appeared on the A.I. pedestal and waved to me.

Her normal geisha outfit had changed to that of a female samurai warrior; lines of code changing the colors of the armor. She smiled and pressed a finger to her lips before disappearing.

"Banner, nice to see you again." Captain Hicks said as he turned around, holding his hand out. "At ease, son. So you're a Helljumper now? Damn it's good to have another squad on board. How have you been, son?"

Shaking his hand, I relaxed into a parade rest. "Good sir, my squad is in top shape and we're ready for some action."

The smile on the old captain's face dropped when he heard my words; making me fear I said something wrong.

"Sir…I-

"No, it's alright. I'm glad you're ready for action because one of our listening posts has gone dark." Hicks said as he brought up a display of the colony on the main monitor. "We sent in a Recon squad a week ago, but haven't heard anything."

Looking at the colony, I took a step forward. "Could it be the Covenant?"

Shaking his head, Hicks tapped the monitor and brought up the schematics. "Negative, the post is concealed well-enough that the Covies wouldn't find it, but someone has. According to ONI, this facility also acts as testing ground for prototype weapons."

"Sir, who found the post?" Sweat dripped down the small of my back as I asked the million-credit question.

"The damn Innies, we have a mole, Gunny."

Well…this just got a whole lot more interesting.

**Whoa, it's been too long since I posted and for that I apologize. Life of a student sucks sometimes. Was not sure on how long ODST training lasted so I just guesstimated. I hope y'all enjoyed this filler** **and will grace me with a loving review.**

**Thanks to all my readers and especially to you who had reviewed; helping me hit my 50****th**** review mark! This has been by far the most popular story I've worked on, so thank you all for that!**

**So…let's go for 75 reviews eh?**


	20. Ambush:edit

May 15, 2533 (Military Calendar)

Iron Justice, Orbiting LP-424

"_Will Echo Squad please report to their drop bay? I repeat, Echo Squad report to the drop bay."_

I chuckled at the fact that Naomi was one of the few A.I.s that I knew of that actually asked for the personnel to be somewhere. I remembered on my first deployment, I had an A.I. that took the personality of a drill sergeant from some old 20th century movie; something called Full Metal Jacket or something. Damn…to this day I don't want to even think about what he said he'd do to me.

I mentally shuddered as I pulled on a black shirt and made my way to the drop bay. Perks of being an ODST was that the cafeteria and the drop bay were not far apart; gotta love the prioritizing.

As I rounded the corner to the drop bay, I heard the voices of the squad chatting and yelling amongst themselves and I took the liberty of calming them down.

"Alright, people, listen up!" I smirked when Parker fell off the crate he was balancing on causing Buck to bark and jump on him. "Buck here, boy."

The Lab obediently came and sat at my feet as I looked over the squad. They looked eager and I knew that they could tell why they were called together. Dell sipped at a canteen while Kaipo looked up from some sketches that his daughter sent him. Already her drawings decorated our bay and I knew they covered the walls in his room. Marx was leaned back in a chair with her hands behind her head; a mischievous smile on her face as she winked at me.

"Now, I assume you've heard the rumors about a listening post going dark." I cleared my throat before speaking again. "Sadly the rumors are true, but it wasn't the Covenant."

Everyone didn't like that bit because they began murmuring among themselves and leaned forward to hear more. Good I have their attention now.

Tapping the center holotable, an image of the listening post appeared and slowly revolved giving us a 360 degree view.

"The facility is not just a listening post for incoming fleets, debris, and the sort. It doubles as an ONI weapons development center; testing theories and prototypes. Apparently they were on something big when they went dark and a Recon squad went in before us to check it out…they didn't come back." I said, tapping another button and bringing up the entrance to the facility.

"Our job is to infiltrate this facility, remove any resistance and recover our package." I said, moving the hologram of the facility and throwing up the pictures of our package. "Doctors Frank and Megan Pearly; heads of the research team; they are the most important objective, guys."

Raising his hand, Dell walked to the holotable. "Gunny if the Covies aren't the ones who took it out; who did?"

Crossing my arms, I leaned against the table. "The Innies has boarded the station. ONI has confirmed this, there is a mole in their ranks and whoever it was has escaped; but we're still going in."

"Who do you think the mole is?" Parker asked before elbowing Kaipo. "Bet it's our long lost spook lieutenant."

We all shared a laugh, but it was cut short when I heard someone clear their throat behind us. Parker's shoulders sagged as he looked up at the ceiling.

"She's behind me isn't she?"

Walking forward, Jones brushed past us and walked to the head of the table; setting a large folder down.

"Needless to say, private, my loyalties are firm." Jones glared at Parker who hid his face in his hands, but I could see he was still laughing. "Gunnery Sergeant, you have additional orders."

Pinching my nose, I turned to look at Jones. "Yeah, Jones, we know about getting the docs out of the station."

"Negative, Helljumper. If the good doctors do not cooperate in any way, they are to be disposed of and the facility destroyed."

The squad leapt to their feet at once in disbelief; shouting and pointing fingers at Jones. Kaipo slammed his hands on the table in anger.

"Destroy the station? There are more people on the station than just the docs. Banner, the station has the workers families on board, right?"

I nodded. "Kaipo's correct; we can't blow the station without properly evacuating the personnel."

"Damn right, he's right. The Innies may have taken the station, but that doesn't mean that we have to act like them!" Dell spat out, turning around and kicking a crate. "We're Helljumpers, we're better than that!"

"Marines, shut it!" I barked, effectively shutting up the squad though Kaipo shoot me a scornful look. "Prep your equipment; I'll have a word with the lieutenant."

Muttering to themselves, everyone dispersed and left Jones and I alone. Joes looked like a snake in her uniform, the insignia of ONI shining evilly on her breast pocket. Running a hand across the stubble on my face, I sighed heavily.

Jones' face was impassive as she continued to stare at the holotable and the display of the station; gently rotating before it winked out of existence by a few pushes of a buttons.

"You probably think I'm a monster for ordering this." She said, anger barely controlled.

"No, I'm angry at the bastards that ordered this and making you their scapegoat." I said evenly.

"Oh, so you care now?"

Laughing, I shook my head. "Nope, not one bit. It's good that you finally see that the higher ups will screw everyone till they get to the top…and then they'll do it some more. Jones, as much as you probably miss ordering me and the squad around; you're not in command of us. We will do our mission and if you really need to blow up the station…do it your fucking self."

I turned on my heel and left a stunned Jones sputtering as I crossed to my locker. I smirked as I heard the door hiss open and then shut quickly.

_She's going to be pissed for a while._

Opening my locker, I stared at the opaque visor of my new helmet. The matte black color almost begged to be scratched and mishandled. I pulled it out and set it under my arm; turning to face the squad as they prepped weapons and adjusted their armor.

"Alright, Helljumpers, let's go see the doctor!" I said, grinning like a mad man.

"Oorah!" They shouted as they went about their tasks with a new vigor. Kaipo came over and leaned down to my ear.

"As your friend, you need to get a new catch phrase."

Xxxxxxxxx

"Parker, how much longer?"

I tapped my foot as I shifted the weight of my M7; the suppressor a welcome, but still new addition. Parker had taken up door hacking while in training and had become our new computer specialist. I gotta admit its nice having him on the squad; despite his jokes.

"Relax, Gunny, I'm sure you don't have anywhere to be."

See, that's what I'm talking about.

The airlock was becoming smaller and smaller every second we spent pressed against this door; especially with Kaipo bringing up the rear. His new armor made him seem even bigger and he seemed content by bumping into me every chance he got. Looking out of the windows, I saw the Recon marines prowler docked with another airlock; the ship undamaged.

"Justice, this is Echo. We have spotted the Recon prowler, no damage to hull; advise." I said, feeling Parker tap my leg.

Looking down, he gestured to the door and gave me a thumbs up. Nodding, I waved the squad back and readied my weapon.

"_Echo, this is Naomi. If you can, find the marines and bring them back. Be careful, we're having trouble reading the heat signatures on the station._

"Roger that, Echo's going radio silent." I said before nodding to Parker.

He entered a series of commands and stepped back as the door hissed open and we filed inside; the door closing behind us. The docking area was deserted save for a few bags and papers scattered around. We moved forward to the center of the room and knelt behind a large security desk.

"Parker, bring up the schematics and tell me how many people are supposed to be-

I was silenced by the sound of a gun being discharged. Snapping up my M7, I quickly moved forward as the rest of the squad fanned out against the walls. Kaipo came up across from me where I stacked up against the door leading out of the docking bay.

"Pistol, small caliber." He whispered, shouldering his rifle.

Holding up a hand, I began counting down; right when the door opened and in walked a woman in a lab coat. Her eyes widened as her mouth opened to shout, but Kaipo reached forward and wrapped an arm around her neck; pulling her out of the doorway. I slapped the door control and backpedaled while facing the door.

"Dell, Parker, cover the door." I ordered, raising a finger to my visor and motioning for Kaipo to take the woman to the desk. "Kaipo, relax your grip, bro. Ma'am, we're ODSTs, do you understand."

The woman nodded as Kaipo slowly released her. "I-I'm Dr. Megan Pearly…you-you came!"

Dr. Pearly turned and wrapped her arms around Kaipo; crying in the shoulder of his armor. Kaipo just shrugged his shoulders and Marx…well, I'm glad I couldn't see her face right now.

"Doc, I need you to let my friend go and focus, ma'am." I said, glancing back at the door.

Dr. Pearly managed to let go of Kaipo and turned to face me; wiping at her eyes. Marx patted me on the shoulder and went across the room and knelt beside Dell. The doctor looked like she hadn't slept in days and if things couldn't be worse; her coat was splattered with blood. A pair of crack glasses hung from her neck and her brown hair was down and looked unwashed. Her entire profile showed distress making our job much harder.

"I'm sorry, I-I just didn't think anyone would get the distress signal. It's been hell here." She said, wiping at her eyes.

Cocking my head to the side, I looked at Kaipo. "Ma'am, a squad of marines should have arrived here. Their ship is docked outside; where are they?"

Kaipo stepped back and leveled his shotgun as I tightened my grip on my M7. Dr. Pearly gasped as she realized what we were hinting at; waving her hands in front of her wildly.

"Wait no no. please! They're dead, the terrorists killed them as soon as they arrived…please, you have to believe me!" She shouted.

"Come on, Gunny, she's about to piss herself! Cut her some slack." Marx shouted from her position; bringing the snickers of the squad.

Sighing, I keyed my radio. "Justice, this is Echo. We've found Dr. Megan Pearly; the Recon squad is dead, unconfirmed, but that's what she says. Please advise."

Dr. Pearly sat down in a chair and accepted Kaipo's canteen and sipped slowly. Turning to the others, I motioned for Parker to come forward.

"I'm not liking that door being open." I said.

"Lock it?"

I nodded. "Tighter than Fort Knox."

"Fort what?" Parker asked. That's when I remembered that Parker wasn't into history like I was nor was anyone else actually.

"Never mind, just lock it up." I ordered, wincing as my radio filled with static.

"_Echo, advise that you…move…Pearly is im…respond."_

"Dammit, Justice repeat your last." I cursed, slapping the side of my helmet. "Justice, respond goddammit!"

Kaipo shouldered his shotgun, concerned by my cursing. "Gunny, we-

The station intercom sparked to life and a deep voice chuckled over the system.

"_Well, well, if it isn't the newly christened ODST squad, Echo. Nice of you to drop in. You're probably wondering who I am, well…you'll know in about thirty seconds."_

"Fuck! Ambush!" I shouted, vaulting behind the desk and shoving Pearly to the ground. "Echo, pull back!"

Marx and Dell mad it to the desk when the door exploded inward; throwing Parker backwards and skidding across the floor. Smoke poured into the room and hid our ambushers from view.

"Switch to thermal!" I raised my M7 and opened up; the weapon coughing weakly as casing rained onto the floor. "Justice, can you hear me!"

"_No point in calling for help, ODST. I've tapped into your radio so you won't be hearing from your friends anytime soon. Twenty seconds."_

Cursing again, I ejected my magazine and slid another back into place. I noticed signature and opened fire; cutting the person down. Scanning for another target, I turned to Dell.

"Move for the airlock, take the doctor with you!"

"Roger that!" Dell grabbed the doctor by the collar and hauled her forward.

"Why haven't they fired?" Marx asked as she fired a burst through the doorway.

"_Ten."_

I was beginning to wonder the same thing when I heard an awfully too familiar sound. My eyes widened when a flurry of blue plasma streaked into the room and burned through the desk. Rolling to the side, I primed a grenade and rolled it forward.

"Fire in the hole!"

The grenade exploded and sent shrapnel into the Innies on the other side of the door. Pulling myself to my feet, I turned to Marx and Kaipo.

"Come on!" We rushed to the airlock to escape, but found an unconscious Dell crumpled on the floor. "Wha-

"_Zero."_

A whining sound flooded the speakers and pain exploded in my head. I couldn't help but drop my weapon and grabbed my head; screaming in pain. Falling to my knees, my vision blurred as I blinked; trying to clear my vision. Marx and Kaipo crumpled to the floor, their bodies writhing in pain. I groaned and reached out to Marx as her body stilled and went limp.

Anger welled up inside, making me reach down for my sidearm. "Sam…"

A pair of heels appeared in my blurred vision, followed by a pair of boots. "He's strong, the marines didn't last this long."

Looking up, I couldn't believe that Dr. Pearly was standing beside a man in a black trench coat; a pair of sunglasses sitting on top of his slicked back hair.

"You look like a…tool." I groaned, fighting the darkness that was beginning to fill into my view.

The man laughed his deep laugh again. "Very strong."

That's when he slammed his boot into my head.

**Well, I've finally finished this chapter. I kept going back and forth with what to do and now…I think I got something good going. So, it'd be nice if yall could leave me some constructive criticism or just say "I like it." Nothing too big haha.**

**Shout out to Gizmo, InnocentBlaze, and TheAwesomeOne for the great review!**

**I'm still going for 75 reviews!**


	21. The Aftermath

**May 15, 2533 (Military Calendar)**

**LP-424**

**Captain Hicks**

"Naomi, what do you mean you can't reach them?" Hicks said, turning to face the A.I. who was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Exactly what I meant, Captain. They're transponders have been in the same area for the past hour and I cannot reach them on their comms. My belief is that they have been captured by the Insurgent forces."

Hicks sighed heavily and looked out the window to the station; eerily dark and only the docking lights were lit; casting shadows across the plating. He could have sworn he saw one of the shadows move, but after rubbing his eyes he saw it was in the same place.

"_Dammit, getting old."_

"Captain, I'm picking up a signal from the station." An ensign shouted from his station.

Turning in his command chair, Hicks faced the ensign. "Is it Echo?"

Shaking his head, the ensign tapped a series of commands. "Negative, but it's pinging like crazy; patching it through."

The screen in front of Hicks' chair lit up and a man wearing sunglasses appeared; a cocky smile on his face. Shifting in his chair, Hicks flipped on the audio.

"This is the UNSC _Iron Justice_, who are you?" Hicks said, watching he man for any signs of hostility.

"You can simply call me Colonel and you shouldn't be making the demands. I currently have your entire squad of 'elite' marines as my hostages." The man, 'Colonel', sneered. "If you do not adhere to my demands then you will watch them die."

The Colonel signaled to someone off screen and there came a sickening thud and a marine, private Parker, came tumbling on screen. His face was bloody and blood seeped from a dozen lacerations crisscrossing across his chest. The Colonel grabbed Parker by the scruff of his neck and tilted his head towards the camera.

"Say hello, private." The Colonel said, patting Parker on the head.

"Fuck you, prick!" Parker responded like any marine would and spat blood onto the Colonel's face.

Cursing, the Colonel pulled a shock baton out and slammed it directly onto Parker's neck and the marine couldn't help but scream in agony.

Hicks couldn't help, but to watch as steam began to waft up from the continuous burn and finally Parker lost consciousness and fell to the deck. The Colonel ran a hand across his hair as if making sure it was still in place.

"As…as you can see, I do not like it when I'm not obeyed. So this is the plan, you will allow my crew and I to leave on that nifty little prowler that's docked and jump to slipspace." The Colonel reached forward and grabbed the camera, panning it over and revealing the rest of the squad.

They were all bloodied, especially Kaipo and Banner, who were both bound with wire. The corpsman, Marx, was limp and laying at the feet of Banner who was seething with anger as he stared at the camera.

"Otherwise your squad of misfits will be killed and, oh, this is fun; your entire crew as well."

Laughing, Hicks leaned back in his chair. "You have no bargaining power here; even with that prowler you couldn't dent our plating. So, here's my condition." Leaning forward, Hicks pointed a finger at the screen. "You take that baton and switch it to the highest setting and shove it in your ass! No one threatens my crew and expects to get away scot free."

The Colonel looked at the screen and slowly, in the most odd sort of way, began to chuckle. His laugh echoed across the bridge as his laughter was joined by those off screen.

"Oh, captain, you have it all wrong. I can do much more than scratch your plating." Signaling off screen, the Colonel smiled. "Enjoy these treats."

The screen turned to static and Hicks sat back. "Helm, prepare-

"Sir! Moray mines, spotted off the port bow!" The Helmsman shouted. "Shit, they're homing in on our signal!"

"Take evasive action!" Hicks shouted, slamming a fist on his chair. "Naomi, send the marines in and-

Hicks didn't get to finish as the ship was suddenly and violently rocked back and forth. Cursing, he was thrown from his chair and slammed to the floor; emergency alarms sounding out as the bridge lights went red. He shook his head to clear the haze before the ship was rocked again and he passed out.

**Banner**

I stared out the viewport as the _Justice _continued to be bombarded by the mines; the plating already beginning to vent atmosphere. Glaring at the woman who had betrayed us to the terrorist known as Colonel, I silently pried at the bonds holding my wrists.

_Ha, bastards wrapped it to fast; always check the hostage._

Glancing at Marx, she stirred once, twice, before becoming still again. She would need a doctor as soon as we got back on the ship; if there was still a ship.

"So, Colonel, what now?" Dr. Pearly asked, her arms slipping around the Colonel's.

The Colonel only smiled before a silent cough echoed out and the doctor's lab coat blossomed red. I couldn't see her face from my angle, but I'm sure she was plenty surprised. She collapsed to the ground, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

"Dear doctor, you have outlived your usefulness; you were great in the sack though. " The Colonel said as he aimed his silenced M6 and fired another round; shattering the woman's skull and splattering blood everywhere.

"You're a maniac, you know that?" Kaipo said as the Colonel stood and wiped bits of skull off his trench coat. "I bet you're just some prick who never got enough attention as kid, I bet-

"Shut up."

I screamed in horror as the Colonel squeezed the trigger twice and two holes exploded in Kaipo's chest. His armor didn't hold at that range and I could see the blood splatter out. My best friend collapsed in a heap of limbs and Dell scrambled as best he could before another Innie slammed his rifle butt into his skull; knocking him flat.

"You BASTARD!" I screamed, tearing my bonds and leaping forward.

The Colonel, I'm glad to say, looked shocked as I tore the M6 from his grasp and slammed an armored knee right into his gonads; eliciting a girlish squeal from the man. Pivoting, I fired half the magazine into the guards standing above Kaipo and Dell; themselves shocked as the rounds tore through their unarmored jackets. Dell twisted around and stood stomping the throat of one of the Innies still breathing.

"Prick…" Dell spat on the corpse. I ran over and tore the wire from his wrists, slapping the M6 into his palm as I rolled Kaipo over and ripped his armor off.

Two holes were there, but what confused me was that they couldn't have been deep enough to kill; odd as that sounded. I couldn't believe myself, so I shook Kaipo roughly.

"Kaipo, come on you sonofabitch, get up. You're not dead!"

A single eye popped open and Kaipo turned his head around and took a look around the room. A smile broke across his face as his deep laugh drowned out the beating of my heart in my chest.

"You idiot, I thought you were dead!" I said, standing and pulling him to his feet.

Brushing his chest gently, he grinned again. "Nah, just playing. Gave you the time you needed to free yourself; surprised the guards didn't see you pulling at your ties. So what's the plan?"

Sighing, I picked up one of the Innies M7s and walked over to the limp body of Marx. Kneeling, I shook her gently and sighed with relief as she came too; her eyes hazy and unfocused.

"Eric, what the hell happened?" She asked, struggling to sit up. "My head is pounding."

"We got ambushed, remember? We're going to be fine." Motioning to Kaipo, I stood. "Kaipo carry her, Dell…Dell?"

I turned around and I couldn't help but curse everything in the universe as I found Dell with the Colonel pressing his sidearm into his neck. The Colonel backed away towards the airlock and closer to the prowler.

"Haha, you're good, Banner, oh…I'll give you that. Your friend is tricky, yes, you both are. But no more!" The Colonel pressed the barrel harder against Dell; making the marine hiss. "You're going to let me go now or I'll kill your squad mate. Your decision."

Dell gasped as the Colonel pressed the pistol deeper; the still-hot barrel burning his neck. I glanced from right to left, making sure the doors leading out of the bay stayed shut. Kaipo slowly maneuvered over to another rifle; gently picking it up. I couldn't see what Marx was doing, but I could hear her breathing heavily behind me.

"What about your friends, Colonel? An officer doesn't leave his men behind, right?" I joked, trying to buy Kaipo time to get around and flank the man.

Sensing the plan, the Colonel pivoted and fired a round at Kaipo's feet; sending him diving to the floor. Dell reached forward and grabbed for the pistol; grappling with the Colonel as I rushed forward. I didn't have a shot.

"Dell, get back-

Another cough, then another, then another. Dell staggered backwards as the Colonel fired again and Dell's back seemed to explode in a shower of blood and bone. Neglecting the Colonel, I dropped my M7 and caught Dell before he hit the deck; blood coating me and the deck.

Dell grasped the clasps of my armor in a vain attempt to rise up. He coughed twice and I could see the blood rising up in his throat and then spilling out over his chin.

In the corner of my eye, I could see the Colonel fleeing through the airlock and into the prowler; the ship rocketing off seconds later. I didn't notice the quick exchange of gunfire as Kaipo cut down the remainder of the Innies who had barged into the bay. I didn't notice when Marx's hand rubbed m shoulder…I didn't notice when Dell looked up at me for the last time.

"Gunny…I think I'm going to…It's finally over…" Dell said before staring off into the distance. His eyes looked like he had found something. "I knew it."

Dell's hand fell from my armor and his eyes closed, but the bloody smile remained as I cradled the body of my friend in my arms. I didn't know what to do, it was Nikki again, Nylund, and Frankie smiling before they were blown from the world. Another ghost to haunt my dreams.

Another friend lost to a war none of us wanted. And it wasn't even the Covenant who killed him, but another human. Weren't we fighting for survival?

"Banner? Son, you have to let him go…let the docs do their job. You've done enough."

I looked up to see Captain Hicks, his arm in a sling, kneeling beside me. He gently pried my hands away from Dell with his remaining hand and, with Marx, pulled me to my feet. I didn't even realize when the docs stabbed a needle into my arm and I drifted off.

**Kaipo-Two Hours Later**

"Sir, what do you mean?" I asked, quietly, disbelieving the man.

"Naomi, explain." The captain muttered, his hand rubbing his brow.

The A.I. turned on the pedestal and blinked; images of the slipspace drive appearing. They looked normal except that over half of the drive's components were flashing red. Naomi actually looked sad as she turned to the bridge crew and the squad, consisting of Marx and me as of right now.

"The slipspace drive is in disrepair; our techs are going over it as we speak, but as of right now…it's literally broken." Naomi stated, looking at the stunned faces of the assembled group.

A lieutenant stepped forward. "What about the station? Don't they have parts?"

Naomi shook her head. "The insurgents made sure to destroy any usable tech on the station…it seemed they planned to maroon us here. The captain has decided to-

"Enough Naomi, I'll take it from here." Hicks said as he stood. "I have decided to set a course for Reach while the crew will be put into cyro for the duration."

"Sir, wouldn't that take…years?" I asked, a knot growing in my throat. My wife…my little baby.

Sighing heavily, the captain only nodded. The entire room burst out in confusion, shouts, and anger. The captain seemed to wilt in the face of it all; the stress of command hammering down on his aged body. I summoned the courage as I forced the faces of my family out of my mind.

"SHUT IT! All of you!" I barked, doing my best impression of a drill instructor.

The room didn't quiet down immediately, but eventually it did and that's when I stood on my chair and looked at the small crowd. Most were young officers, but there were a few veteran NCOs standing in the back; they would understand…hopefully.

"I have a family…a wife, daughter...and a little boy born a week ago. I want to see them again just like you all want to see your families again. The captain is giving us a chance by sending us into cyro and you all know it. Do the smart thing and obey the orders of your captain; get to your damn pods."

I pointed at the door and Naomi triggered the door to open as I did so. The crowd stared at me silently before a single sergeant walked out, then another, and then the entire group left. Naomi nodded her head before disappearing; her voice broadcasting over the ship speakers.

"_All personnel except engineering report to the cyro bay. I repeat, report to the cyro bay."_

"So, Kaipo, how haven't you gotten your stripes yet?" Marx asked as she looked up at me.

Forcing myself to laugh, I jumped down and walked to the captain. "Sir, you should get to your pod."

Looking up, the captain shook his head. "Negative, son. I'm staying up with the engineers; gotta keep them hard at work."

Nodding my head, I slipped my arm around Marx's shoulders and pulled her out of the room with me. The hallway was deserted and so was the cyro bay; except for a few cyro techs not a single person was occupying the room. I helped Marx into her pod and patted her pod gently as she smiled and fell asleep. Turning to the pod beside her, I rapped my knuckles on Banner's pod; sighing heavily at the sight of his still-bloodied face asleep and frozen.

"Corporal, time for cyro." A tech said, a datapad in his hands.

"Yeah, I know." I said as I climbed into the pod; the gel layer sticking to my skin and I settled in. As the pod closed over me, I stared down at the photo in my hand; my wife and daughter smiling at me. April's belly was swollen beyond belief and Rebecca was dressed as a bumblebee. I knew I wouldn't rest until I found them again.

In this life or the next; I would find them. That's what I promised myself as I closed my eyes and fell asleep. The last thought that passed through my mind would give me nightmares.

How long would we sleep?

End Part I

**Wow, I'm sorry for the late chapter, I honestly forgot to write cuz of college and everything going on. I hope yall can forgive me!**

**Twists, deaths, and more twists. How long will they sleep? When will they get back to Reach? Give me some creative ideas and criticism and we'll find out!**

**Shout out to RobbieLexington, MAXIMUS, the guest, Axds123, and the Awesomeone! Your reviews make this all worth it.**

**Part one is done, I will continue as soon as I can. Thanks to all my loyal readers! FalloutRanger out!**


End file.
